Est. 1979 · 47 years in practice St. Paul (651) 292-1123
Reigstad Engineers, Inc.

Structural Steel Engineering

Reigstad partners with architects, contractors, and owners to deliver precise, creative structural steel solutions for complex projects nationwide.

Call (651) 292-1123
Structural Steel Engineering

Request an estimate

Tell us what you need

No obligation

By submitting this form you agree that we may contact you about your request and share your name and email address with partner companies for email marketing. We never share your mobile number or text message consent with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.

Structural Steel Engineering That Solves Hard Problems

Structural steel engineering is the discipline of specifying, designing, and detailing steel framing systems so a building performs safely under every load it will ever see. Reigstad Engineers has delivered structural engineering solutions across the country for 47 years, working alongside architects, contractors, and owners from the earliest design conversation through construction. If you have a project that demands more than a stamped drawing, call (651) 292-1123 to start a conversation with our team.

The cost and schedule of structural steel work is driven by factors specific to each project: span lengths, connection complexity, the governing snow and wind loads for the site, existing conditions on a renovation, and how much coordination happens early with the fabricator. Getting the structural steel system right at the schematic phase prevents expensive field changes later. We don't hand off a set of drawings and disappear. Active on-site involvement during construction is part of how Reigstad works, and it's how problems get caught before they become costs. Every project is different. Contact Reigstad Engineers for an accurate scope assessment.

Steel frame structure with columns and beams installed inside brick building during renovation

What Structural Steel Engineering Covers

  • New steel framing systems for commercial, institutional, and mixed-use buildings
  • Steel connection design and detailing for fabrication
  • Lateral force systems: moment frames, braced frames, shear walls
  • Structural assessment of existing steel in renovation and adaptive reuse projects
  • Coordination with architects and contractors through design and construction
  • Stamped drawings and plan review submittals for permit approval

Material Selection

When Steel Is the Right Structural Choice

Steel is not always the answer. Knowing when it is separates a good structural engineer from a commodity one.

Long Spans and Open Floors

Steel's strength-to-weight ratio makes it the practical choice when a project demands column-free spans that concrete or wood can't achieve economically. Parking structures, atriums, and large assembly occupancies are typical candidates.

Fast Construction Schedules

Fabricated steel arrives on site ready to erect. On projects where the construction schedule is a hard constraint, steel framing can compress the structural phase in ways that cast-in-place concrete cannot match.

Renovation and Adaptive Reuse

Many existing commercial and industrial buildings in the region were built with steel frames decades ago. When an exterior structural repair or addition ties back to that existing structure, steel is typically the logical material to match and connect to.

Hybrid Systems

Steel and precast concrete work well together, and so do steel framing with concrete slabs on metal deck. Selecting the right hybrid system often yields the best combination of cost, speed, and performance for a given program.

Steel-framed building under construction with structural steel beams, columns, and metal decking assembled on a waterfront jo

Design Conditions

Climate and Code Factors That Drive Steel Design

Snow load is not a footnote in cold-climate structural design. The ground snow load for the Twin Cities region is 50 psf under ASCE 7, and roof geometry, drift conditions, and unbalanced loading can push the design roof snow load well above that baseline. Any structural steel engineer working in this region has to know those numbers from memory and understand how they interact with the steel framing layout. Freeze-thaw cycles affect steel connections at and near grade differently than they affect mid-span members. Where steel elements are exposed or embedded near the building envelope, detailing for thermal movement and moisture management is part of the structural engineer's scope, not an afterthought. Reigstad's engineers have worked on projects across Minnesota and the upper Midwest long enough to treat these conditions as standard practice, not edge cases. Minnesota falls in ASCE 7 Seismic Design Category A or B for most of the state, which means seismic loads rarely govern structural steel design here. Wind, snow, and drift are the controlling lateral and gravity conditions on nearly every project we see in this region. That said, the structural system still has to be detailed for lateral resistance, and we document the basis for every design decision so the permit authority has what they need.

How Reigstad Approaches a Steel Project

Schematic Collaboration

We work with the architect and owner early to establish the structural system before it gets locked into the design documents. The right steel framing layout affects mechanical routing, facade detailing, and cost in ways that are easy to fix at schematic stage and expensive to fix later.

Design and Documentation

Our structural drawings and specifications are detailed for the fabricator and the contractor, not just for plan review. Connection design, camber requirements, and erection sequence notes are part of what we deliver, because a drawing that can't be built is not an engineering document.

Construction Phase Services

Gordon Reigstad, PhD, PE, SE built this firm around active on-site involvement. Construction inspection and submittal review during the steel erection phase is how we catch field conditions that deviate from the design before they become structural problems.

Related Structural Services

Concrete Construction

Concrete slabs on metal deck, podium structures, and concrete cores paired with steel framing are common in mixed-use and commercial work. Our concrete construction services complement steel framing design on projects that use both materials.

Civil Engineering Support

Site conditions, grading, and utility coordination affect how a steel structure meets the ground. We coordinate with civil engineering early to make sure the structural design accounts for site constraints before the foundation goes in.

Start here

Tell Us About Your Steel Project

Reigstad Engineers has been working with architects, contractors, and owners on structural steel projects for 47 years. Licensed in Minnesota and Mississippi. If your project needs a structural engineer who will stay engaged from schematic design through construction, contact us at (651) 292-1123 or reach our team directly at abooth@reigstad.com.

(651) 292-1123

Or send it in writing

Three fields, thirty seconds

No obligation

By submitting this form you agree that we may contact you about your request and share your name and email address with partner companies for email marketing. We never share your mobile number or text message consent with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.

Structural Steel Engineering: Common Questions

What structural steel services do you provide for commercial vs. institutional projects?
For commercial and institutional projects, Reigstad provides complete structural steel system design: framing layout, lateral force resistance, connection design and detailing, and construction-phase support through erection and inspection. The scope is consistent across building types, though the governing code requirements, occupancy loads, and coordination demands vary significantly between a speculative office building and a university research facility.
How long does structural steel engineering design typically take?
The design timeline depends on project complexity, the completeness of the architectural documents we're working from, and how many design iterations the team needs to run before the structural system is established. A straightforward commercial addition might reach permit-ready structural drawings in six to ten weeks. A complex new building with long spans, non-standard geometry, or a fast-track schedule requires a more specific assessment. Contact us early in the process so we can build a realistic schedule.
What permits are required for structural steel work?
Most jurisdictions require a building permit for any structural steel work beyond minor repairs, and that permit typically requires stamped structural drawings prepared by a licensed professional engineer. Minnesota requires structural engineers of record to be licensed as Professional Engineers (PE) in the state. Reigstad is licensed in Minnesota and Mississippi, and we're experienced working through municipal plan review processes across both states and beyond.
How do you determine whether a structure needs steel reinforcement or replacement?
We start with a structural assessment of the existing condition, which includes reviewing any available as-built documentation, visual inspection of connections and members, and evaluation of the current and proposed loading conditions. Some structures need targeted reinforcement at specific connections or members. Others have a framing system that's fundamentally undersized for a new use or program. We don't recommend replacement when reinforcement is the right call, and we don't recommend reinforcement when the structure's condition or loading demands a more comprehensive solution.
What are the four main types of structural steel shapes used in building framing?
Wide-flange sections (W-shapes) are the most common in building framing for columns and beams. Hollow structural sections (HSS), both rectangular and round, are used frequently for exposed columns, truss members, and architecturally visible conditions. Channels (C-shapes) and angles appear in connection details and secondary framing. The choice among these depends on the loading, the connection configuration, the fabrication constraints, and sometimes the architect's intent for exposed steel.
How do Minnesota building codes affect structural steel project requirements?
Minnesota adopts the International Building Code with state amendments, and structural design follows ASCE 7 for load determination and the AISC specification for steel design. The critical regional inputs are the ground snow load, which is 50 psf in the Twin Cities area, and the design wind speed per ASCE 7 for the specific site. Minnesota's seismic hazard is low, so seismic detailing requirements rarely govern here. The state also has specific licensing requirements for the engineer of record, which Reigstad meets through its Minnesota PE licensure.
How long do steel structures last?
A properly designed, fabricated, and maintained steel structure has a service life that routinely exceeds 100 years. The variables that affect longevity are corrosion protection, connection detailing, and whether the structure is used within its design parameters over time. Many historic industrial and commercial buildings in the region are carrying loads today on steel frames erected 80 or more years ago. The engineering question on those structures is usually not whether the steel is sound, but whether the connections and the foundation are adequate for a changed use.
What's the difference between structural engineering and architectural design?
Architectural design establishes the program, the spatial organization, and the form of a building. Structural engineering determines how that building stands up, resists lateral forces from wind and snow, and transfers loads safely to the foundation. The two disciplines have to work together from early design through construction, which is why Reigstad frames its practice around collaboration rather than treating structural engineering as a downstream service. We're more useful to an architect when we're in the room during schematic design than when we're handed a completed set of drawings to stamp.

In the field

A look at our work

Unfinished building frame with steel beams, concrete columns and floor slabs during construction, overlooking urban skyline.
Empty commercial floor with steel frame structure, concrete flooring, and panoramic city views through expansive windows

Related

Next step

47 Years of Structural Steel Expertise

Reigstad Engineers brings four decades of collaborative structural practice to projects that need an engineer, not just a stamped set.

Rather talk now?(651) 292-1123

No obligation

By submitting this form you agree that we may contact you about your request and share your name and email address with partner companies for email marketing. We never share your mobile number or text message consent with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.