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Steel Beam Drilling, Notching and Holes
Bolt holes for connections, holes for services, notches to clear existing structure — all done to the engineer’s details before the beam leaves for site.
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 gets drilled and why
Most beams need holes of some kind. Bolt holes connect the beam to columns, to padstone plates or to another beam. Service holes let pipes and cables pass through the web instead of dropping below the beam and eating into headroom. Notching removes part of a flange so the beam clears existing structure at a bearing.
All three are routine, and all three are far better done under controlled conditions with the beam properly supported than up a ladder with a mag drill once the steel is in position.
Where holes can and cannot go
This is the part worth taking seriously. A hole is not neutral: it removes material from a section that was sized on the assumption the material was there. Where the hole sits changes how much that matters.
Holes in the web near mid-span, where bending stress is highest in the flanges but shear is low, are usually the least damaging. Holes close to a support, where shear is highest, are the most damaging. Holes in the flanges are a different order of problem again, because the flanges are doing most of the bending work. Notching a flange at a bearing reduces the section exactly where the load is being transferred into the padstone.
None of that means holes are a bad idea — it means the position, size and spacing have to come from the person who did the calculations, not from whoever is holding the drill.
What we need from you
A marked-up drawing showing hole positions, diameters and, where it matters, which face they are drilled from. If the connection details came from your engineer or fabricator, send those and we will work to them.
If you are not sure whether a hole is acceptable where you want it, ask your engineer before ordering rather than after the steel is drilled. A beam with a hole in the wrong place is scrap.
Related services
- Steel Beams Cut to Size
- Welded Cleats, End Plates and Connections
- Galvanised Steel Beams
- All processing and fabrication services
Common questions
Can you drill holes for services through the web?
Yes, where your engineer has confirmed the position and size. Service holes through the web are common and are usually the least intrusive way to get pipes and cables past a beam without losing headroom.
Can you notch a flange?
Notching is possible but it removes material from the part of the section doing most of the work, so it must be detailed by your engineer rather than decided on site.
What if I need holes added after delivery?
Tell us before the beam is processed if you can. Adding holes afterwards means either site drilling, which needs the same engineer approval, or returning the steel.
Do you work from fabrication drawings?
Yes. Send the connection details or fabrication drawings and the holes will be set out from those.
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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