Why Field Fab

Why Field Fab

Field Fabrication vs. Shop Fabrication

Field-fabricated trusses can measurably improve outcomes on your next construction project. At LAMP, our proven field-fab process delivers:

Superior Efficiency
By working with a full-service team that offers design-assist services, you can trust your truss system complies with all design requirements before fabrication begins. In addition, our experienced crews custom-fabricate right on site.

Greater Cost Savings
Unlike shop-fab trusses, which need to be manipulated twice before installation, LAMP crews build perfect trusses once. The truss members are cut by the manufacturer and shipped in compact bundles to the jobsite, where they are assembled by our crew. That means fewer steps, freight requirements and hand-offs than shop-fab trusses — resulting in lower costs and less risk of error.

Faster Response
Our fabrication crews are also our installation crews. When changes are required, there’s no need to lose time shipping trusses back to a shop-fab facility; our crews can make approved engineered modifications right on site.

On-Time Certainty
Because we are part of a family of steel-producing companies that focus solely on steel processing and metal framing, we have seamless visibility down our supply chain. Materials arrive on site when promised because we control the production schedule.

Sustainability Benefits
Steel is 100% recyclable, making it an excellent material for LEED®-certified projects. In addition, LAMP’s truss components are shipped directly from the manufacturer to the jobsite in compact bundles. This significantly reduces the number of trucks needed to supply a job and eliminates unnecessary carbon emissions created by redundant shop-fab shipments.

Learn more about Field Fab by reading our article, 4 Reasons to Select Field-Fabricated Trusses for Your Next Construction Project.

FAQ

Approving Lamp’s field fabricated trusses in your specifications is not a risk, it’s an advantage. The end product by both field-fab and shop-fab methods will meet your specified engineering requirements. But only Lamp’s field-fab method can significantly reduce project costs and durations by eliminating “piggy-back” trusses.
Yes! Lamp’s field fabricating methods are the same as any shop. We produce high-quality, consistent profiles time and time again because we use jigged-table assemblies, and most of our material is cut to length by the component manufacturer.Lamp is also the only truss manufacturer to carry TWO fabrication certifications (SFIA and TPI), enabling you to purchase with confidence knowing that our quality standards are second to none.
Not when you use Lamp’s field-fab method. Because field-fab components are shipped in compact bundles, the risk of transport damage is exponentially less than shop-fab assemblies.However, transport damage to shop-assembled truss pieces is a real concern. Weakening of the connection points during a shop-fab truss’s transport is called “racking,” and it can create supply issues and project delays.
Absolutely! Using jigged-table assemblies at the jobsite, the Lamp Metal Trusses crew builds perfect trusses ONCE, and provides a turn-key product right in front of you.Shop-fab trusses are manipulated TWICE before installation. First upon initial assembly at the shop, and again upon arrival and “piggy-back” reassembly at the jobsite. On top of that, the time it takes to off-load and load shop-fab pieces to trucks, as well as travel time is exponentially higher than the field-fab method due to the inherent need for multiple truckloads to ship the same amount of material.
We know there is no such thing as a “perfect” construction project. When/if problems emerge in the substrate or drawings, our crews are able to quickly and effortlessly implement any approved engineered modifications. Lamp’s field-fab method provides unmatched flexibility, and since our fabrication crew is also our installation crew, it’s a turn-key service.Without inclusive language that approves the field-fab method in your specs, engineering changes made after delivery would require transport back to the shop-fab facility; delaying the project. Onsite assembly of a new truss design using existing materials would be “field fabrication,” and thus prohibited per any exclusionary language in the project’s specifications.
Whether field-fab or shop-fab, both methods need the same amount of space at the jobsite for off-loading, storage, and staging. Lamp requires adequate space for fabricating, which is coordinated through project teams.

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