Steel producers had benefited from trade associations as a forum to collude on pricing, and steelwork contractors sought the same advantages.

In return for recognition from the steel manufacturers in raw material negotiations, their fabrication subsidiaries were permitted to join the new association.

[4] Collusion on pricing had been an important part of early trade associations in the iron and steel industries.

The British Constructional Steelwork Association identify instances of members of their predecessor organisations, cautious about the legality of these schemes, hiding behind code names and numbers.

[20] Post war, it was common for structural steel contractors to submit identical bids in response to tenders.

Government became more concerned with anti-competitive behaviour, and the structural steel industry's highly developed, overt bid rigging received particular attention.

The lion is dotted with gold bezants representing fair dealing in commerce; the yellow, blazing torch, held aloft by the lion, represents the association's enlightening message that structures should be of steel not concrete, and the crest, atop a red and gold torse, is set within a circle of steel ingots.

[20][40] The motto depicted on the arms is Strength and Stability, intended as reference to both the association and structural steel.

Full members are contractors that pay a levy to the association based on their sales of relevant steelwork in the prior year.