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Welded Cleats, End Plates and Connections
Cleats, end plates and base plates welded on before delivery, so the steel goes together on site instead of being fabricated there.
Get this priced with your steel
Send us your engineer’s drawings and we’ll price the steel and the processing together — one order, one delivery, one point of contact.
What a connection has to do
A beam on its own is only half a structure. Where it meets a column, a padstone or another beam, something has to carry the load across the joint. That something is the connection, and on domestic and light commercial work it is usually a welded plate or cleat with bolts through it.
End plates are welded across the end of the beam and bolted to whatever it meets. Fin plates and cleats are welded to the side of one member and bolted through the web of the other. Base plates spread the load from a column into a foundation or padstone. Which one your job needs is a decision for the engineer, not a preference.
Why have them welded on beforehand
Site welding on a domestic job means bringing power, plant and a competent welder into an occupied building, usually working at height in a confined space, with hot work in a room full of timber. It is slower, more expensive and more disruptive than having the same weld done before the beam is loaded.
A beam that arrives with its plates already on is also a much faster install. The steel is lifted into position, lined up and bolted, and the opening is done.
Goal post frames
The most common fabricated assembly in domestic work is the goal post frame: a beam with a column at each end, used where a rear wall is removed and there is nothing either side to bear onto. The joints between beam and columns are the whole point of the assembly, and they are fabricated to the engineer’s connection details.
Send the drawings and we will price the frame as a set rather than as loose members.
What we need from you
Connection details from your engineer or fabricator: plate sizes and thicknesses, weld specification, bolt sizes and hole positions. If you have fabrication drawings, those are ideal.
If all you have is the structural calculations and a beam size, say so when you enquire. Connections usually need detailing before anything can be welded, and it is better to find that out at quote stage.
Related services
- Steel Beam Drilling, Notching and Holes
- Steel Beams Cut to Size
- Galvanised Steel Beams
- All processing and fabrication services
Common questions
Can you supply a complete goal post frame?
Yes, fabricated to your engineer’s connection details and delivered as a set. Send the drawings and we will price the whole frame.
Do you design the connections?
No. Connection design is the structural engineer’s responsibility. We fabricate to the details you supply.
Can plates be welded to a beam that is also galvanised?
Yes, but the order matters — welding is done first and the assembly galvanised afterwards, so tell us at quote stage if both are needed.
What if my engineer has only given me beam sizes?
Tell us when you enquire. Connections normally need detailing before fabrication, and it is much cheaper to establish that before the order than after.
Ready for a price?
Send your drawings or a cutting list and we’ll come back with quantities and a price, steel and processing together. Large and small orders both welcome.
We supply structural steel across London, the South and the Midlands, delivered direct to site. Information on this page is general guidance; specifications for your project must come from your structural engineer.
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