How to Work
with Cast Connex

Learn when to consider steel castings, when and how to reach out to CAST CONNEX for complimentary support, and how CAST CONNEX is involved during the design and construction phases of the project.
Cast Connex Product Rendered in Context of a Project
01

Schematic Design Phase

technical illustration of a steel connector

Begin to consider your structural steel connections. Identify locations that may be benefit from the use of steel castings.

Contact CAST CONNEX to share preliminary information & sketches. Participate in an exploratory discussion of potential standard or custom-designed cast steel solutions that you can leverage for your design. Discuss approximate project timelines and steel casting lead times. Upon request, CAST CONNEX can provide a rough order of magnitude budgetary estimate during this stage or at any stage of the project.
02

Design or Conceptual Design Phase

3d render of a cast steel connector

Whether designing connections or delegating design, determine whether standardized cast steel components or custom designed steel castings may meet your design needs.

If you are considering:
Standardized cast steel products

Contact CAST CONNEX and request product information and digital assets. Share latest drawings and project timelines, and confirm appropriate product sizes and quantities. CAST CONNEX will guide you on how to specify the cast steel product.

Custom castings

Contact CAST CONNEX to discuss scope of steel casting solution. Understand whether lead times associated with custom-designed castings are compatible with project timelines.

Share latest drawings and any preliminary connection concepts; convey architectural, structural and constructability requirements and challenges; and, collaborate with CAST CONNEX to iteratively develop an appropriate steel casting solution.

CAST CONNEX will guide you on how to specify the custom steel casting. We will provide complimentary cast steel specification language, 3D Models or 2D CAD files for your architectural and structural drawings, and appropriate annotations to include on your details.

03

Pre Bid

Confirm the steel castings have been appropriately specified:

01

Ensure cast steel specification language is included in
Division 05 of contract documents.

02

Ensure the cast steel component is shown diagrammatically and that load information is provided on drawings.

03

Contact CAST CONNEX and share drawings; we can review to confirm the information is appropriately conveyed for tendering.

How Cast Connex is Engaged

04

TENDER

Connecting with
Project Bidders

  • CAST CONNEX will provide formal proposals to bidders. We may request a list of bidders from you.

  • CAST CONNEX will typically reach out to all parties intending to bid to bring their attention to the components and to share relevant information.

  • Steel fabricators can apply risk factors to their pricing for unfamiliar products. Our goal is to remove that uncertainty to allow teams to offer appropriate pricing for our components.

  • Steel castings are not a typical construction item, and with limited time to bid projects, teams may omit the castings from their bid. Our goal is to help ensure the components are not omitted and your architectural and structural intent is maintained.

05

Contract Award

Successful Contractors Formally Engage CAST CONNEX

Whether designing connections or delegating design, determine whether standardized cast steel components or custom designed steel castings may meet your design needs.
If you have specified:
Standardized cast steel products

CAST CONNEX will coordinate product information including datasheets, sample welding procedures, installation, and best practices. Engineering calculations are available upon request.

CAST CONNEX will deliver products, and will offer to review pertinent shop drawings to aid in the successful
integration of the castings. We will remain available to address questions and concerns through construction.

Custom castings

CAST CONNEX will complete structural analysis and finalize the casting design, develop as-cast and machining shop drawings, and submit for approval. Upon approval of engineering report and shop drawings, CAST CONNEX will launch tooling production and manufacture the First Article. If required, CAST CONNEX will make a First Article casting available for approval or incorporation into a project mock-up. Upon the approval of the First Article, remaining production components will be manufactured and delivered.

CAST CONNEX will coordinate casting information including 3D models and shop drawings. We will provide all submittals per the casting specification and remain available to address questions and concerns through construction.

06

Value Engineering

Maximize Savings,
Enhance Design

Contact CAST CONNEX for ideas as to how to reduce cost or for alternative casting design solutions. Contractors and steel fabricators may not be aware of potential cost savings options or alternative casting designs, and they may not realize they can ask. We can offer solutions to the design team to help maintain architectural quality and structural integrity.

Library

Access Our Product Resource Library

By creating an account, you will be able to download Specification Guidelines, 2D & 3D CAD Files, Installation Guides, and more.