Ferra

Ferra is an AI-native structural steel estimating platform built for steel fabricators, erectors and estimating teams.

Structural steel estimating has traditionally required experienced estimators to spend hours manually reviewing construction drawings, identifying members, counting quantities, interpreting connections and building bills of materials. Ferra uses artificial intelligence to automate much of this work while keeping the estimator in control of the final result.

Estimators can upload structural and architectural drawing sets directly into Ferra. The platform analyzes 2D construction drawings and identifies structural steel members including beams, columns, braces and joists. Ferra organizes this information into a detailed takeoff that estimators can review, edit and validate before using it in their estimating workflow.

Ferra is designed around an estimator-in-the-loop approach. AI accelerates the repetitive work involved in reading and interpreting drawings, while experienced estimators remain responsible for reviewing scope and making estimating decisions. This allows structural steel companies to increase estimating capacity without removing the expertise and judgment that are critical to producing accurate bids.

Structural Steel Takeoff and Estimating

Ferra helps automate structural steel takeoffs from 2D construction drawings. Instead of manually identifying and counting every steel member across a drawing set, estimators can use Ferra to create an initial takeoff and then review the results directly inside the platform.

The platform supports structural steel members including beams, columns, braces and joists, along with common steel connections such as shear tabs, angles, moment connections, gussets, end plates, seated connections, knife plates and saddle connections. Ferra supports both bolted and welded connection conditions.

Bills of Materials

Ferra converts information identified in the drawings into an organized bill of materials. Estimators can review quantities, make changes and use the resulting data as part of their downstream estimating process.

Bid Intelligence

Ferra helps estimating teams understand new opportunities before completing a detailed takeoff. Bid Intelligence gives estimators a faster way to navigate large drawing packages, identify relevant steel scope and understand important project information.

This is particularly useful for steel companies reviewing a high volume of bid opportunities and deciding where their estimating resources should be spent.

Drawing Revision Comparison

Construction drawings frequently change throughout the bidding and preconstruction process. Ferra helps teams compare drawing revisions and understand what changed between drawing sets, reducing the manual work required to review revised projects.

Miscellaneous Metals

In addition to primary structural steel, Ferra is expanding its AI estimating capabilities into miscellaneous metals. This allows steel companies to use Ferra across more of the overall steel package and consolidate more of their estimating workflow into one platform.

3D and IFC Workflows

Ferra can generate 3D representations from information extracted from 2D drawings and supports IFC export. This gives estimators another way to review the steel identified during the takeoff process and use Ferra's output in downstream workflows.

Built for Structural Steel Companies

Ferra is purpose-built for the structural steel industry rather than being a general-purpose construction estimating platform. It is designed for steel fabricators, erectors and estimating teams that regularly bid structural steel projects and want to increase the speed and capacity of their estimating operation.

Ferra supports teams throughout the estimating process, from understanding an initial bid opportunity and reviewing construction drawings to completing detailed steel takeoffs, analyzing revisions and preparing quantities for pricing.

The goal is simple: use AI to handle more of the repetitive work involved in structural steel estimating so experienced estimators can spend more time reviewing scope, applying their expertise, pricing projects and winning the right work.