Steel is integral to infrastructure in the United States and around the world. As a crucial component of bridges, structures, guardrails, signs and sign supports, concrete reinforcement, work-zone management, railways and much more, every state’s Department of Transportation (DOT) has a high demand for steel. This isn’t “just any steel,” though. If you want to supply steel to your state’s DOT, you need to know the regulations and requirements that allow you to do so.
Understanding “Made in the USA” Requirements for DOT Contracts
All contracts with the U.S. and state DOTs fall under the Buy American Act, meaning all major purchases by the DOT must give preference to domestic products (the act defines a domestic product as one that is manufactured in the United States and with at least half the cost of the components sourced in the U.S.).
This can get complicated, especially since some states have similar legislation, so the details of compliance may vary from state to state. In general, any steel DOT project, whether state or federal:
- Must be completely manufactured, from initial melting through coating, within the United States
- Prove that 55% or more of the total cost of all components (in manufactured products) was spent on manufacturing in the U.S.
- Contain only U.S.-manufactured non-ferrous materials in construction
Commonly Sourced Steel Products by State DOT
The most in-demand steel products in DOT projects include:
- Bridges and structures (trusses, plate girders, support pylons)
- Highway safety features (guardrails, crash attenuators, mounting posts)
- Concrete reinforcement (rebar)
- Signs and supports (overhead support structures, mast-arm traffic signals, lighting units)
- Work-zone management (temporary steel plates to cover in-progress excavations)
- Railway materials (trains, freight cars, rails, and tracks)
Steel’s high strength-to-weight ratio makes it especially versatile in all these areas and is why it is essential to safe, durable infrastructure. This is also why each state’s DOT requires extensive documentation and verification before approving a steel supplier.
Federal Statutory Mandates
In addition to manufacturing steel within the United States, all suppliers must be approved by their state’s DOT to be eligible for DOT contracts. To achieve this, a supplier has to adhere to federal statutory mandates (which include the Buy American Act and its strict documentation) as well as receive quality certification for their facilities. Depending on the type of supplier, these certifications may come from:
- American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) for structural fabricators and component manufacturers, as well as complex coating and galvanizing shops
- American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) for reinforcing rebar and mesh
- American Welding Society for bridge welding and structural steel welding
How to Verify Your Supply Chain Meets Domestic Content Standards
Materials used must meet exact specifications and come with extensive documentation. The DOT will not accept steel without mill test reports, certificates of compliance, and traceable markings to verify that the steel being delivered has the precise heat numbers, tensile strength, yield strength, and other properties as claimed in manufacturing.
On top of all the federal verification, an approved supplier must also meet its state protocol, which, of course, varies from one state to the next.
To meet these requirements (and simplify audits), it’s important to put practices in place to maintain complete traceability throughout the entire fabrication process, starting with sourcing raw materials.
- Sourcing: source raw materials in compliance with the Buy American Act.
- Traceability: use heat and batch numbers to stamp and track every individual component throughout fabrication.
- Quality management: An ISO 9001 certification shows you are compliant with industry standards.
- Documentation: document everything from machine tolerances to welding procedures to surface treatments and beyond, as well as verifying that machine operators hold the proper certifications.
- Transport: each state DOT has its own regulations for transporting steel to be used in DOT projects. Make sure you comply with your state.
Buy American-Made Steel from Capital Steel
Purchase domestic steel from Capital Steel, a woman-owned business with multiple steel warehouses in the United States. Contact us today to discuss how we can help source your next project in compliance with DOT regulations.
