Why calculations take so much time at steel construction companies

In steel construction projects, most of the time is not spent on the calculations themselves, but on searching, interpreting, and verifying information.

Specifications, construction drawings, detailed designs, revisions, and contract documents contain all the necessary data, but this information is spread across dozens or sometimes hundreds of pages.

This leads to challenges such as:

• Manually searching for project requirements
• Varying interpretations of steel drawings
• Ambiguities between specifications and construction details
• Revisions that need to be re-checked
• Variations in profiles, connections, and custom work
• High dependency on experienced estimators

The result? More time per request, higher risk of errors, and less capacity to submit additional bids.

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How AI automatically analyzes construction drawings for steel construction calculations

Automatically recognizing steel drawings

The Bestek Agent analyzes technical steel drawings and automatically recognizes relevant structural components, details, connections, and steel structures.

Automatically recognizing steel profiles and structural components

From HEA, HEB, and IPE profiles to columns, beams, and connections: components are automatically recognized and structured from construction drawings.

Capture dimensions and metadata for steel structure calculations

Lengths, dimensions, quantities, and technical properties are automatically processed into usable calculation information for steel construction companies.

Automatically link specifications and steel drawings

Performance requirements from the specifications are automatically linked to the correct components within the steel structure.

Reprocess revisions of steel drawings

New versions of drawings and documents are automatically re-analyzed without starting from scratch.

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From request to steel structure calculation in four steps

1. Upload documents

Upload specifications, steel drawings, IFCs, PDFs, contract documents, revisions, or complete ZIP files as you receive them.

2. Select your desired output

Determine which information you want to extract or work with an existing calculation template for steel structures.

3. Receive structured output

All relevant data is automatically collected, linked, and clearly presented.

4. Start calculating immediately

Work from a consistent calculation basis, including source references and linked project information.

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What information AI extracts from steel drawings

The Specification Agent helps to identify and structure, for example:

• HEA, HEB, and IPE profiles
• Steel grades and profile types
• Connections and nodes
• Welded and bolted connections
• Fire resistance requirements
• Corrosion protection
• Spans and loads
• Counts and quantities
• Dimensions and lengths
• Revisions and changes
• Discrepancies between documents
• Erection conditions
• Standards and certifications
• Project-specific requirements

This provides quicker insight into what is relevant for steel structure calculations.

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AI agents for steel structure calculations

Multiple AI agents collaborate within the estimation process. This is called an agentic system. Each agent supports a specific part of the process.

Document Analysis Agent

Analyzes specifications, contract documents, and supplementary documents, structuring all project requirements.

Technical Drawings & Steel Structure Agent

Identifies steel profiles, connections, dimensions, quantities, and technical properties from steel drawings.

Product Portfolio & Standardization Agent

Compares project requirements with standard profiles, production capabilities, and custom variants.

Risk & Inconsistency Agent

Identifies contradictions, missing requirements, and discrepancies between documents.

Legal & Contract Analysis Agent

Analyzes contract terms, liabilities, and special requirements within projects.

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How much time do steel construction companies save with AI estimation?

By automating preparatory work, the estimation process shifts from manual searching to focused evaluation. Instead of spending hours sifting through documents, you can start directly with a structured estimation basis.

Reading and Interpreting Specifications

Traditionally, understanding specifications often takes 4 to 8 hours per project.

With the Specification Agent, relevant information is automatically collected and structured, reducing this to 1 to 2 hours.

Analyzing Steel Drawings

Manually analyzing steel drawings, variants, and connections often takes estimators 6 to 12 hours.

AI assists in identifying and structuring technical information, reducing this process to 1 to 3 hours.

Identifying Risks

Traditionally, deviations and inconsistencies are checked manually.

The Specification Agent automatically helps identify inconsistencies, missing requirements, and project risks.

Processing Revisions

When changes are made, the process typically largely restarts.

With AI, new versions of specifications and steel drawings are automatically re-analyzed without starting from scratch.

As a result, steel construction companies can process more inquiries with the same capacity and issue reliable quotes faster.

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Which steel construction companies would find this interesting?

The Specification Agent supports, among others:

• Steel construction companies
• Industrial building constructors
• Commercial construction
• Industrial steel construction
• Renovation projects
• Prefabricated steel structures
• Fabrication workshops
• Project-based steel production
• Installation Companies
• Engineering & Construction Firms

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