Overview

The Steel MTO (Material Take-Off) Tool is a comprehensive automated quantity estimation solution developed for calculating steel quantities used in a wide variety of structural steel applications. The software is designed to simplify and accelerate the preparation of accurate steel BOQs for industrial, commercial, infrastructure, and PEB projects.

The application combines extensive steel databases, intelligent quantity calculations, customizable BOQ categorization, and user-friendly interfaces to provide a powerful and flexible material estimation platform for structural engineers, estimators, fabricators, and EPC organizations.

Extensive Member and Assembly Coverage

The software includes dedicated input sheets for:

• 34 individual steel member categories
• 3 fabricated steel assemblies

The fabricated assemblies include:

• Handrails
• Caged ladders
• Staircases

The software supports a broad range of structural steel applications covering both:

• Heavy steel industry requirements (oil & gas, industrial structures)
• Light steel and PEB industry requirements

This wide coverage makes the software suitable for highly diversified steel quantity estimation projects.

Support for Multiple Steel Section Types

The application supports:

• Rolled sections
• Built-up sections
• Hot-rolled profiles
• Cold-formed sections

for structural components such as:

• Columns
• Beams
• Bracings
• Plates
• Secondary steel members

The built-in steel database includes section profiles from multiple countries and manufacturers, making the software adaptable to international engineering practices and standards.

Intelligent Quantity Calculation

The software computes steel weights using either:

• Built-in unit weight tables
• First-principle calculations based on steel density (7850 kg/m³)

This enables accurate quantity estimation even for:

• Custom fabricated members
• Non-standard plate shapes
• User-defined built-up components

Additional percentage allowances may also be specified for miscellaneous items such as:

• Stiffeners
• Seat angles
• Cleats
• Clips
• Shims

thereby improving the realism and completeness of project quantity estimation.

Fully Editable Steel Databases

All built-in steel databases may be accessed directly through the:

• “Open Section Database” button

The integrated databases contain:

• Country names
• Manufacturer names
• Section designations
• Unit weights

Users may freely:

• Add new sections
• Remove unwanted sections
• Modify unit weights
• Rearrange database entries

This flexibility allows organizations to maintain customized steel libraries aligned with project standards and procurement practices.

Flexible Shape Handling for Plates

For baseplates and connection plates, the software supports three shape categories:

• Rectangular/Square (“R”)
• Circular (“C”)
• Other custom shapes (“O”)

Selecting the required shape automatically enables only the relevant input fields while disabling unnecessary inputs, thereby simplifying data entry and minimizing user errors.

Advanced BOQ Classification System

The software organizes quantities into:

• Member-wise classifications
• Assembly-wise classifications

supporting up to:

• 37 predefined classifications

In addition, users may create:

• Up to 30 custom BOQ categories

This enables flexible quantity segregation for purposes such as:

• Floor-wise quantity breakup
• Area-wise segregation
• Discipline-wise reporting
• Fabrication package division
• Project phase segregation

The custom classification system significantly improves the usefulness of generated BOQs for project planning and execution.

User-Friendly Workflow and Interface

The organization of input sheets is designed to provide:

• Easy navigation
• Simplified data entry
• Convenient future referencing
• Efficient handling of large projects

To create custom BOQ split-ups, users simply assign the required category number from the:

• Structure Sub-Type (SST) listbox

for each relevant input row.

The associated input fields become accessible automatically whenever the required checkbox is enabled in the Section Profile input sheet.

Automated Output Generation

Once all quantity inputs are completed, users may proceed to the final input form titled:

• “Chequered Plate”

and click the:

• “Finish” button

to automatically generate:

• Up to three organized output sheets

The generated outputs present BOQs in structured formats suitable for:

• Quantity estimation
• Procurement planning
• Tendering
• Fabrication planning
• Cost estimation
• Material tracking

Practical Industry-Oriented Solution

The Steel MTO Tool is particularly beneficial for:

• Structural steel consultants
• EPC contractors
• Fabrication companies
• PEB manufacturers
• Quantity surveyors
• Industrial project teams

Its intelligent automation, editable databases, flexible BOQ categorization, and broad industry applicability make it a dependable and highly productive solution for professional steel quantity estimation workflows.