Legal

Terms of Service

1. ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS

By downloading, installing, accessing, or using the SectionFinder application ("the App"), you ("the User") agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, you must immediately cease using the App.

These Terms constitute a binding agreement between you and SectionFinder ("the Company", "we", "us", "our"), a South African entity, in terms of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 ("ECTA").

2. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICE

SectionFinder is a structural steel section reference application that provides dimensional and structural property data for various steel section profiles. The App is intended solely as a reference tool for qualified engineering and construction professionals.

The App currently provides data applicable to the following jurisdictions:
South Africa — based on SANS standards
United Kingdom — based on BS EN standards (future addition)
United States — based on AISC standards (future addition)

3. ELIGIBILITY AND PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION

3.1 The App is intended for use by qualified professionals including but not limited to registered Professional Engineers, Structural Engineers, Civil Engineers, Boilermakers and fabricators, Procurement and materials professionals, and Engineering students under professional supervision.
3.2 By using the App, you warrant that you possess the necessary professional qualifications, knowledge, and experience to interpret and apply the data provided.
3.3 The App is not intended for use by unqualified individuals making structural decisions. The Company accepts no liability for use by persons lacking appropriate professional qualifications.

4. ENGINEERING DISCLAIMER AND LIABILITY LIMITATION

4.1 Critical Notice: The data provided in this App is for reference purposes only. All structural calculations, designs, and decisions must be independently verified by a qualified registered professional engineer against the applicable national standards and codes of practice.
4.2 The Company makes no warranty, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, completeness, or currency of section property data, the fitness of the data for any particular structural application, or compliance with any specific national, regional, or project-specific standards.
4.3 Section properties may vary between manufacturers, rolling tolerances, and regional standards. Always verify dimensions and properties against the following standards:
- South Africa: SANS 50025, SANS 657
- United Kingdom: BS EN 10034, BS EN 10210, BS EN 10219
- United States: AISC Steel Construction Manual
4.4 The Company, its directors, employees, agents, and data providers shall not be liable for any structural failures, collapses, or engineering defects, personal injury or death arising from reliance on App data, financial losses, consequential damages, or loss of profits, property damage arising from structural decisions made using App data, or any indirect, special, incidental, or punitive damages.
4.5 This limitation of liability applies to the fullest extent permitted by South African law, including the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 ("CPA") and common law.
4.6 Where the CPA applies and cannot be excluded, our liability is limited to the minimum extent permitted by law.

5. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

5.1 The App, including its design, code, branding, logo, and user interface, is the exclusive intellectual property of the Company and is protected under South African copyright law and the Copyright Act 98 of 1978.
5.2 Steel section dimensional data is derived from publicly available standards and manufacturer specifications. Where proprietary data is used, appropriate licensing has been obtained.
5.3 You may not copy, reproduce, or distribute the App or its content, reverse engineer or decompile the App, use the App's branding or design for commercial purposes, or create derivative works based on the App without written consent.
5.4 All rights not expressly granted are reserved by the Company.

6. PROTECTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION (POPIA)

6.1 The Company processes personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 ("POPIA").
6.2 Information collected may include App usage analytics (anonymised), device information for crash reporting, and user feedback submitted voluntarily.
6.3 We do not collect, store, or process sensitive personal information as defined under POPIA.
6.4 Personal information is not sold to third parties.
6.5 You have the right to request access to your personal information, request correction of inaccurate information, request deletion of your personal information, object to processing of your personal information, and lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa.
6.6 Information Regulator contact: inforeg@justice.gov.za
6.7 For privacy inquiries contact: support [at] sectionfinder [dot] com

Note for future UK users: Data processing for UK users complies with the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018.
Note for future US users: California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).

7. ANALYTICS AND DATA COLLECTION

7.1 The App may use anonymised analytics to improve functionality and user experience.
7.2 Analytics data collected includes feature usage frequency, App performance metrics, crash and error reports, and general geographic region (country level only).
7.3 No personally identifiable information is included in analytics data.
7.4 You may opt out of analytics collection by contacting us at support [at] sectionfinder [dot] com

8. UPDATES AND DATA ACCURACY

8.1 The Company reserves the right to update, modify, or correct section property data at any time without notice.
8.2 Users are responsible for ensuring they are using the most current version of the App.
8.3 The Company does not guarantee that data will be updated to reflect amendments to national standards. Users must independently verify data against current applicable standards.
8.4 The Company will endeavour to notify users of significant data corrections through App update notifications.

9. ACCEPTABLE USE

9.1 You agree not to use the App for any unlawful purpose, to make structural decisions without independent professional verification, in a manner that could endanger public safety, or to circumvent any safety or verification processes.
9.2 The Company reserves the right to terminate access for users who breach these Terms.

10. THIRD PARTY SERVICES

10.1 The App utilises the following third party services: Supabase for database and backend services, Google Analytics for anonymised usage analytics, and Google Play for app distribution.
10.2 Use of these services is subject to their respective terms of service and privacy policies.
10.3 The Company is not responsible for the practices of third party service providers.

11. AVAILABILITY AND SUPPORT

11.1 The App is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis.
11.2 The Company does not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free operation of the App.
11.3 Technical support is available at support [at] sectionfinder [dot] com
11.4 The Company reserves the right to suspend or discontinue the App at any time with reasonable notice where possible.

12. GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION

12.1 These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of South Africa.
12.2 Any disputes arising from these Terms or use of the App shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the South African courts.
12.3 The parties consent to the jurisdiction of the Magistrate's Court or High Court of South Africa, as appropriate to the quantum of the dispute.
12.4 For future UK users: UK users may have additional rights under English law and may bring claims in English courts.
12.5 For future US users: US users in certain states may have additional statutory rights which cannot be waived by contract.

13. DISPUTE RESOLUTION

13.1 In the event of a dispute, the parties agree to first attempt resolution through good faith negotiation.
13.2 If negotiation fails within 30 days, disputes may be referred to mediation under the rules of the Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa (AFSA) before litigation.
13.3 Nothing in this clause prevents either party from seeking urgent relief from a court of competent jurisdiction.

14. AMENDMENTS TO TERMS

14.1 The Company reserves the right to amend these Terms at any time.
14.2 Material changes will be notified to users through the App.
14.3 Continued use of the App following notification of changes constitutes acceptance of the amended Terms.
14.4 If you do not agree to amended Terms, you must cease using the App.

15. SEVERABILITY

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

16. ENTIRE AGREEMENT

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and the Company regarding use of the App and supersede all prior agreements and understandings.

17. CONTACT INFORMATION

SectionFinder
Email: support [at] sectionfinder [dot] com

For legal notices, please use the email address above marked "Legal Notice" in the subject line.

Please check the App regularly for updates to these Terms.