As the financial year draws to a close for most UK businesses, attention will naturally turn to planning for the…
Three quotes come back. One is noticeably lower than the other two.
Most people read that as a discount or a great deal. But the risk is what’s been potentially left out.
Our pricing sits where most established signage manufacturers sit. The difference is what the number covers, and the difference usually shows up eighteen months later.
A totem is not a sign. It is a structure that needs to perform safely in the real world.
This is the part some only discover afterwards.
A freestanding totem is load-bearing structural metalwork, fabricated and bolted into the ground, so the steelwork must carry conformity marking, UKCA or CE, both accepted here, and arrive with a Declaration of Performance. Not as a premium option but as a legal requirement, because fabricated structural steel is classed as safety critical.
Which means the question is not whether your totem is well made. It is whether it is compliant.
Plenty of quotes in this market are for a metal box with graphics on it. That is a different product, sold under the same word.
What is removed from a quote to make it appear ‘cheaper’?
There are only a few places to amend a quotation for a totem, and they are often the same ones.
The site survey
Some quotations may be based on ‘surveys’ that simply take dimensions from a drawing rather than evaluating the ground directly. The risk with this is that underground services are sometimes discovered only by hitting them. Only by visiting the location in person and carefully evaluating existing foundations or using CAT & Genny can our teams fully plan for successful installation. Site surveys also capture access available so that our teams arrive prepared.
The structural calculation
A totem on an exposed coastal forecourt and one in a sheltered retail park can look identical, but need completely different engineering. Wind loading is calculated per location under Eurocode 1. Skip it and you are relying on a fabricator’s instinct rather than proven safety data.
Our in-house technical team produce detailed drawings based on structural calculations. These calculations consider the specific environmental conditions at each installation location to ensure that the totem structure is designed to withstand the loads and forces it will be subjected to.
The steelwork itself
This is the factor you cannot see. Ask a fabricator where a saving can be found and the honest answer is probably the steel. A lighter gauge, a lower grade, a section thinner than the wind loading calls for. We build to S355 structural steel, the grade rated to carry the load, at execution class EXC2, to BS EN 1090. A quote that will not tell you what it builds to may be telling you something.
Our quotations will only be based on the most appropriate grade and steel specification to deliver a safe end product.
The groundworks specification
The foundation is invisible, which makes it an easy thing to underspecify but the most expensive thing to correct. Each totem requires a properly engineered base to hold it’s weight and to withstand environmental factors – it should not be a matter of guesswork.
The lift plan
This is legally required for the installation of any totem and should be prepared by a qualified Appointed Person. This should not be an ‘add on’ or optional but can be frequently absent from a quote.
The paper trail
Material traceability records, welder qualifications, welding procedures and, where applicable, a Declaration of Performance (DoP) are examples of documentation used to demonstrate compliance and conformity with BS EN 1090. BS EN 1090 sets out the requirements for the execution of structural steelwork and is relevant to the fabrication of structural steel components such as totems.
Manufacturers certified to the relevant requirements of BS EN 1090 such as Astley are subject to independent assessment and ongoing auditing.This provides assurance that their manufacturing processes, quality management systems and production controls are subject to assessment against the requirements of the standard, supporting the consistent manufacture of compliant structural steelwork.
What’s missing from a quote can cost later
The totem that develops a lean through its first winter, quietly telling every passing customer something about the brand it carries will then need excavating, redesigning and reinstalling.
An installation may be unable to proceed if the lifting operation has not been adequately planned for due to insufficient survey information. This can result in additional costs, including crane hire, traffic management and paying for site personnel, while the installation team is unable to carry out the planned work.
Following a structural failure, particularly where high winds are a contributing factor, the availability of supporting documentation may prove critical. Structural calculations and where applicable, the Declaration of Performance (DoP), may be required to demonstrate that the structure was designed, manufactured and supplied in accordance with the applicable requirements. If this documentation is unavailable, it may be more difficult to establish compliance and conformity and could create additional complications when assessing liability and insurance claims.
If a structure requires replacement significantly earlier than its intended service life, the associated costs can be substantial. These may include the replacement structure, additional groundworks, installation and associated site costs, as well as disruption to normal operations while the replacement works are undertaken.
The initial saving was real but it was just a loan.
Five questions for any supplier, including us:
Do not take our word for any of this. Ask:
- Are you BS EN 1090 accredited, and can I see the certificate? It is a specific accreditation with a certificate number, audited by an approved body. Either they have it or they do not.
- Is the fabrication done in your own facility? Subcontracted fabrication is not automatically a problem but not knowing who did may be.
- Who does the structural calculation for my site, and will I get a copy? The solution should involve a structural engineer and a document you keep to evidence compliance.
- Can we see a copy of the lift plan before installation; with assurance it was created by an Appointed Person? If this question causes a pause, that is the answer.
- What happens if it needs rebranding in five years? A totem clad in aluminium panels can often be re-skinned rather than replaced. Where the underlying structure or construction does not allow for re-skinning, its practical lifespan may be shorter than originally anticipated.
Any experienced manufacturer can answer all five questions in a single email.
The honest version of the wind question
We get asked whether our totems will stay up in a storm. Our answer simply is that if totems are correctly engineered, sites are adequately surveyed, and totems are manufactured in accordance with BS EN 1090 standard then they should.
Our teams start from a standard design, assessed by independent structural engineers, that answers wind resistance across 75% of the UK mainland. From there, we survey the site, calculate the wind loading for that specific location, check it against the design, and engineer up wherever the number demands more. Then we fabricate to BS EN 1090 in our own facility in Gateshead. Put the same brief on an exposed Northumberland coast forecourt and a sheltered inner-city courtyard and you will get two different builds.
And that process is ultimately what you are paying for, and can be the entire reason the cheaper quote is cheaper.
Astley have manufactured BS EN 1090 compliant totems and monolith signs across the UK for over 30 years, every one built under our own roof. If you have quotes in front of you and want a second opinion on what they include, send them over. We will tell you straight, even if the answer is that the other one is fine.
