Free Steel Fabrication Resources
Calculators, design guides, and fabrication references built for structural engineers, architects, and contractors. All tools are free — no login required.
Share on LinkedInFree Calculators
Arc Length Calculator
Solve arc length, bend angle, and chord length for structural steel. Supports inside, outside, and centerline radius — four unit systems. Export results as a PDF and send directly to our team for quoting.
Spiral Stair Calculator
Calculate helix angle, rise-in-12, developed arc lengths, and bend radii for spiral stair stringers. Essential for architects and structural engineers specifying curved stair fabrication.
Cone Flat Pattern Calculator
Generate the flat pattern sweep angle, inner and outer radii, and arc lengths for truncated cones. Includes an SVG flat pattern preview you can download and send with your quote request.
Bending Orientation Guide
The axis on which a section is bent determines the force required, the minimum achievable radius, and the amount of cross-section distortion. Use this guide when specifying curved steel to make sure your drawings communicate the correct orientation to the fabricator.
Wide Flange Beam (W-Shape)
Also applies to S-shapes and HP piles
Channel (C / MC)
Standard American channel and miscellaneous channel
Angle (L-Shape)
Equal and unequal leg angles
Rectangular HSS / Tube
Square and rectangular hollow structural sections
Pipe & Round Bar
Standard, extra-heavy, and double extra-heavy pipe; solid round bar
Flat Bar
Hot-rolled flat bar and rectangular bar
Plate
Steel, aluminum, and stainless plate
Always call out the bending orientation explicitly on your drawings — "bend easy way" or "bend hard way" — rather than relying on the view alone. Include the radius as inside, outside, or centerline. Ambiguous specs are the most common cause of fabrication delays. Send us your drawings and we'll confirm feasibility before you finalize.
Design Guides & References
Curved Member Design
The AISC Design Guide for curved structural steel members. Covers bending radii, tolerances, material specifications, and connection details for rolled and bent structural shapes. Essential reference for engineers specifying curved steel.
Get it on AISC.orgHow to Specify Curved Steel
Always specify whether your radius is inside, outside, or centerline — it changes the fabrication dimension. Include material grade, section size, total arc length or angle, and any camber or sweep requirements. Our team can review your drawings and confirm feasibility before you finalize specs.
Send Us Your DrawingsTolerances Reference
Fabrication Tolerances
Standard tolerances for beam rolling, angle rolling, tube bending, plate rolling, channel bending, induction bending, CNC plasma cutting, and pipe threading. Per-process tables with AISC, ASME, and AWS references.
View Tolerance TablesServices Reference
Pacific Roll provides structural steel rolling, bending, and fabrication services across Southern California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Alaska. Click any service for full specifications, tolerances, and material capabilities.
Industry Reading
Trusted publications and associations for structural steel design, curved member specifications, and fabrication best practices. Worth bookmarking and sharing with your project team.
AISC — Modern Steel Construction
Free articles on structural steel design, curved members, and architecturally exposed structural steel (AESS). The most credible source to share with structural engineers and architects. Also publishes Design Guide 33 on curved member design.
aisc.org/modernsteelEngineering News-Record
Project spotlights, construction news, and features on notable steel structures. Regularly covers curved steel architecture, stadium projects, and complex fabrication. Great source for real-world project examples to share on LinkedIn.
enr.comStructure Magazine
Peer-reviewed technical articles written by and for structural engineers. Covers steel design, connection details, and fabrication considerations. Free to read online — ideal for sharing with engineers who want the technical depth behind curved steel specifications.
structuremag.orgWhen sharing an article from any of these sources, add 2–3 sentences of your own take — "We see this on jobs regularly — here's how we handle it at Pacific Roll..." — before the link. That turns a reshare into a thought leadership post and gets far more engagement than a plain link.
Ready to start your project?
Use a calculator above to spec your bend, then send us the results for a fast quote.