In accordance with the National Building Code, steel building systems shall be manufactured by companies certified to CSA A660 “Certification of Manufacturers of Steel Building Systems.” A steel building system (SBS) features steel for the structural components plus related accessories engineered and designed as a total building system, commonly referred to as “pre-engineered buildings” for which the manufacturer is responsible for both the structural design and fabrication of the building system. Since the designer of the steel building system is also the seller, there is no independent third-party representing the interests of the public. CSA A660 ensures that the SBS manufacturer is complying with the applicable building codes and design standards, and the public is protected.
CSA A660, however, does not apply to all steel fabricating plants. The vast majority of structural steel fabricators in Canada are only involved with fabrication of building structures that are designed by engineers employed by others. These fabricators are not required to be certified to CSA A660. Engineers and owners that demand steel fabricators have a third party audited quality system should specify CISC Certification. CISC Certification is available for both steel structures and steel bridges.
For a listing of companies that are CISC Certified and more information on CISC Certification, visit the CISC website at
www.cisc-icca.ca/certification.
