Who performs material tests of the structural steel for verification of material properties?

The steel supplier performs material tests of the structural steel for verification of material properties, ensuring that the materials meet the required specifications and standards before they are delivered to the project site. This testing is critical because it confirms that the supplied steel complies with the prescribed design and safety requirements, including aspects such as yield strength, tensile strength, and other relevant material characteristics.

The responsibility of the steel supplier in this context includes conducting standard tests and providing documentation, such as Mill Test Reports (MTRs) or Certificates of Compliance, which serve as evidence that the materials meet the necessary code requirements and project specifications. This proactive testing helps to prevent issues related to material failure or deficiencies during construction or after project completion.

While other roles, such as the fabricator, contractor, or special inspector, play important functions in the overall construction process, their primary responsibilities lie in different aspects of the project. The fabricator focuses on the production and assembly of the steel components, the contractor oversees the overall project execution, and the special inspector is generally responsible for verifying compliance with codes and standards through inspections but does not usually conduct the initial material tests. Thus, the steel supplier is specifically tasked with the verification of material properties through testing before the steel is utilized in construction.