Meet Postel Group

Postel Group is a leading structural steel contractor specializing in complex commercial and mission-critical data center projects across the Southwest. Known for precision, discipline, and execution reliability, they partner with top general contractors on high-stakes builds where coordination is tight and errors are costly. What sets Postel apart is their constructability-first mindset and rigorous preconstruction process, prioritizing risk awareness and technical depth over volume. The result is not just accurate steel quantities, but bids that reflect real-world execution, making them one of the most trusted steel partners in the Southern and Western U.S.

‍

On large data centers especially, repetition is constant. The same beam types, the same framing layouts, and the same shear stud patterns appear across massive plan sets. Precision matters, and so does speed.

‍

The Challenge: Manual Structural Takeoffs

Before Boon, every takeoff was completed manually, page by page.

‍

“We had to do everything manually, just page by page.” – Stephen Foss, VP of Estimating

‍

Estimators reviewed structural and architectural drawings side by side, counting beams repeatedly and cross-checking their work. Beam counts were often verified more than once to ensure nothing was missed.

‍

“We end up counting those things more than once. We’re double checking the work. So you’re spending a lot of extra time.”

‍

On large data centers, this repetition became especially time-consuming. Counting beams and shear studs across expansive framing plans could take an entire day of focused work.

‍

Architectural coordination added another layer of complexity. The team had to reconcile differences between architectural and structural drawings, verify edge conditions on different building elevations, and account for bracing, deck edges, and parapets that varied by side of the building.

‍

Column heights introduced further manual effort. Schedules often required estimators to “refer to plan,” forcing them to trace grid intersections across multiple floors and elevations to determine where columns terminated.

‍

The process was thorough but time intensive.

‍

The Solution: AI-Powered Beam and Shear Stud Counting

‍

Postel Group began using Boon primarily on larger projects, where the impact of automation would be most meaningful.

‍

Today, the biggest time savings comes from automated beam and shear stud counting.

‍

On major data center projects, the difference has been dramatic.

‍

“The big data centers that we run through — it takes off all the beams in 30 seconds that would normally take a full day. That’s a big deal.”

‍

Instead of manually counting and recounting framing members, Boon extracts quantities automatically, allowing estimators to spot-check rather than fully recount.

‍

Stephen estimates that on a typical structural project, automated beam framing can save between 20% and 50% of total takeoff time, depending on complexity.

‍

How Postel Group Uses Boon Today

Postel Group currently relies on Boon most heavily for beam and shear stud quantification — two of the most repetitive and time-consuming elements of their workflow.

‍

As the platform evolves, the team sees major opportunities in additional automation. Column detection and height identification would remove another significant manual step. Automated quantification of perimeter conditions, embeds, and edge details would further reduce drawing review time.

‍

Results and Progress

On framing-heavy projects, Boon has reduced beam takeoff time from a full day of manual counting to roughly 30 seconds of automated extraction. Across typical projects, Postel Group estimates up to 50% overall time savings on structural takeoffs.

‍

When asked what they do with the time they get back, the answer was simple:

‍

“More work.”

‍

As data center demand continues to grow, the ability to process large structural packages quickly gives Postel Group a competitive edge. AI is not replacing their expertise, it is eliminating repetition so estimators can focus on higher-value decisions.

‍

For Postel Group, Boon is transforming structural takeoffs from a manual counting exercise into a scalable, technology-enabled advantage.