pi-steel

Structural-steel estimating skills for the Pi coding agent: validated takeoffs, plate nesting, linear cut-list optimization, guarded DXF output, draft vendor RFQs, and a review-gated estimate pipeline.

Built by StructuPath.

Demo

This demo uses only the repository's synthetic fixture. It runs the complete takeoff → nest → draft RFQ pipeline and publishes an isolated package with a machine-readable rfq_ready_for_review outcome.

Install

pi install npm:@structupath/pi-steel

Then ask Pi:

Do a structural-steel takeoff from these drawings and build a validated BOM.
Nest these rectangular plate parts on 96 × 48 stock.
Optimize these beam lengths onto 40/50/60 ft mill lengths.
Prepare a draft RFQ from this estimate.

Run the local dependency check when using the source repository:

npm run doctor

What is included

Skill	Purpose	Primary outputs
steel-takeoff	Validate member designations and calculate BOM weight and tonnage	Validated BOM and findings
steel-nest	Lay out plate parts with kerf, gap, and edge-margin controls	Nest results, reference drawings, and guarded burn DXFs
steel-cutlist	Optimize member lengths onto purchasable mill lengths (1D bar nesting)	Verified cutting lists, purchase summaries, drop candidates, and bar diagrams
steel-rfq	Compile estimate data into a reviewable vendor request	Draft .xlsx RFQ and semantic workbook record
steel-estimate	Orchestrate the complete review-gated workflow	Immutable run directory, QA report, lineage, manifests, nesting, and draft RFQ

Takeoff

steel-takeoff provides structural-shape lookup, weight calculation, and BOM validation helpers. It checks member designations, grades, duplicate marks, and unreasonable weights. It calculates from supplied quantities and allowances; it does not invent pricing.

Nesting and DXF safety

steel-nest uses MaxRects bin packing for rectangular parts and reports yield, scrap, reusable drops, and unplaced material. Irregular parts may carry a true polygon outline for exact areas, weights, hole checks, and drawn profiles; they are placed by bounding box, always flagged, and then compacted along their true profiles in fixed scan-to-first-contact steps — every compacted plate must pass an independent polygon-clearance verifier or the bounding-box layout is kept.

Per-sheet burn_plate_N.dxf files are emitted only when the full nest is complete and every supported hole remains inside its part. Otherwise, pi-steel suppresses burn DXFs for the entire run and leaves clearly labeled estimating and reference artifacts for review. It does not emit G-code or claim machine-specific CAM compatibility.

Linear cut-lists

steel-cutlist packs member lengths (beams, channels, angles, HSS, tube, pipe) onto purchasable mill lengths with explicit saw kerf and end-trim allowances. A deterministic strategy portfolio per designation and grade minimizes unplaced members, total stock length, and known cost, and every bar is independently re-verified before a cutting list is published. Drops are reported as candidates for review, never as certified reusable stock.

Draft RFQs

steel-rfq groups material by stock family, carries approved nesting data into the workbook, and provides fill-in columns for vendor pricing. Workbooks remain drafts until a person reviews and issues them.

Copy the example company profile to a private project location:

mkdir -p .pi-steel
cp skills/steel-rfq/assets/company-profile.example.json \
  .pi-steel/company-profile.json

Complete that local copy with approved company information. Never commit the completed profile.

Workflow and outcomes

estimate input
    ↓
contract validation → plate nesting + linear cut-lists → draft RFQ compilation
    ↓
QA findings + lineage + immutable run manifest
    ↓
ready | needs_review | blocked

Each run is published below the requested output root and referenced by latest-run.json. Exit status 0 means geometry-verified, 2 means human review is required, and 3 means the workflow is blocked. A blocked run never contains an RFQ workbook.

Public-repository safety

This repository and all committed examples are public. Do not add:

• company profiles or internal business context;
• customer, vendor, employee, project, bid, or contract data;
• live pricing, margins, terms, credentials, or private contact information;
• generated RFQs, takeoffs, PDFs, DXFs, spreadsheets, or output directories.

Keep operational inputs and generated artifacts outside the repository. See the public data policy and data provenance record before contributing.

Documentation

• GitHub wiki
• Public data policy
• Data provenance
• Changelog
• Pi package catalog
• npm package

Development

npm test                 # base, no-render suite
npm run test:full        # PDF/PNG/DXF/LibreOffice smoke tests
npm run privacy:check    # current public-repository data guard
npm run privacy:history  # redacted audit of reachable history
npm run pack:check       # npm contents and installed-runtime smoke test
npm run provenance:check # shape-data integrity and recorded decision
npm run release:check    # complete release gate

The current package version is declared in package.json and recorded per release in CHANGELOG.md. release:check verifies the test, privacy, package-content, shape-data integrity, ownership, license, and redistribution contracts before publication.

License

StructuPath-authored code, documentation, and the bundled StructuPath Structural Shapes Database are distributed under the MIT license. Dataset ownership, authorization, and integrity evidence are documented in DATA_PROVENANCE.md.