What Paint-Area Reports Calculate
A paint-area report from Tekla calculates the total exposed surface area of each member's primary section — flanges, web, and top/bottom surfaces — at its final fabricated length. It typically does not include the surface area of attached plates (shear tabs, cap plates, base plates) unless specifically configured to include them, and it does not deduct for hole areas (holes are small enough that the deduction is negligible for coating estimation). The output is typically in square feet or square meters per piece mark.
How to Use the Report for Coating Estimation
Sum the total area from the report across all members to get the total project surface area. Apply the coating system's specified coverage rate (typically expressed in square feet per gallon of each coat) to calculate gallons required. Add a waste factor (typically 15–20% for complex structural members with webs and flanges) and a touch-up allowance for field connections. For galvanizing estimation, the total weight is more relevant than area — the galvanizing shop charges by the pound, not by square foot.
What Is Not Included in Standard Paint-Area Reports
Standard Tekla paint-area reports typically exclude: the surface area inside tube sections and HSS that is not accessible to blast or paint equipment; the interior of box columns; the underside of cap plates and base plates that are not accessible for coating; and areas specified as 'field coat only' that should not receive shop coating. For complex projects with multi-zone coating requirements, separate reports may be needed for each zone.
Multi-Zone Coating and Separate Surface Area Reports
Many structural projects have different coating requirements for different zones: interior members may require primer only; exposed architectural members require a full high-build coating system; members in corrosive environments (industrial, coastal, underground) require an SSPC-SP10 near-white blast and a high-performance epoxy or zinc-rich primer system; members in the concrete embedment zone are typically left bare or coated with a concrete-compatible primer. Tekla allows members to be filtered by phase, zone, or user-defined attribute, making it possible to generate separate surface-area reports for each coating zone. This is essential for accurate coating bid pricing and for scheduling the blast and paint work in the shop.
- Interior structural members — SSPC-SP6 commercial blast, primer only
- Architecturally exposed structural steel (AESS) — SSPC-SP10 near-white, multi-coat finish system
- Members in corrosive environments — SSPC-SP10 or SP5, zinc-rich primer
- Members in the embedment zone — bare or concrete-compatible primer per specification
- Members receiving spray fireproofing — primer only; no topcoat; bare zones at field welds per AWS D1.1
Deductions and Additions the Report Doesn't Automatically Handle
Standard Tekla paint-area reports do not automatically deduct for field weld zones (areas that must be left bare per AWS D1.1), masked areas over bolted connections that will be painted in the field, or access holes in webs. For precision coating estimation — particularly for high-cost epoxy systems where overestimating by 10% has significant cost implications — these deductions should be applied manually to the Tekla report output. A paint specification review early in the project, before the report is generated, establishes which deductions apply and prevents re-work on the estimation.
Using Paint-Area Reports for Subcontract Pricing
When coating work is subcontracted, the paint-area report from the Tekla model becomes the basis for the subcontractor's bid. Provide the report with: total area by member type, the specified blast standard (SSPC-SP6, SSPC-SP10, etc.), the coating system specification section and product data sheets, the number of coats and specified dry film thickness (DFT) in mils, and any special requirements (zinc-rich primer over SSPC-SP10, topcoat color). A subcontractor who bids from a complete paint-area report and coating spec will produce an accurate price; one who estimates from a ton count will build in contingency that you end up paying.