Industrial construction
Structures for production and technology: chemical-industry plants and acoustic enclosures, designed for high loads, media routing and demanding conditions.
Structures for plants and special buildings
Industrial buildings follow different rules from ordinary buildings. The structure is determined not by floor area but by the plant: machine weights, vessel loads, pipe racks, crane runways, vibration. Added to that are loads that never occur in housing, and ambient conditions that attack the material.
What makes industrial structures different
- High, heavily concentrated point loads from plant components
- Dynamic actions from machinery, crane operation and traffic
- Chemical attack on concrete and reinforcement
- Components that must stay accessible during operation
- Close interlocking with plant engineering and process design
Designing around live operations
Most industrial projects are not new builds on open ground but interventions in a plant that keeps running. That shifts the emphasis. Construction stages, erection sequences and temporary propping become as much part of the design as the final condition, and they are often the more demanding part. We plan so that shutdowns stay short and construction phases fit the operating schedule.
Recalculate existing structures rather than strengthen on spec
When a plant is extended or converted, the first question is how much reserve the existing structure holds. The starting point is therefore the survey: which components actually carry load, what the available records allow us to assume, and what damage has occurred over the operating years. Only then does it become clear whether strengthening is needed at all. Where recalculation shows sufficient reserve, it saves construction time, cost and downtime.
Foundations
Machine and vessel foundations are a task in their own right. Besides stability, what matters is settlement and vibration behaviour, and for plant operation these two are often what actually governs. A foundation that carries the load on paper but is too soft can render a machine unusable. We therefore coordinate the foundation early with the plant engineer and the ground investigation report.
Questions we are often asked
How does industrial construction differ structurally from building construction?
Chiefly in the nature of the loads. Building construction is dominated by distributed imposed loads; industrial construction by concentrated point loads from plant components and by dynamic actions from machinery and cranes. Added to this are ambient influences that govern durability and that must be considered when choosing concrete, reinforcement and corrosion protection.
Can you increase loads on existing components?
Often yes, but only after recalculation. This requires a survey and clarification of what the existing records allow us to assume. If recalculation does not show sufficient reserve we design the strengthening, usually so it can be built in stages without a lengthy shutdown.
Do you also design machine foundations?
Yes. Machine and vessel foundations are part of our work. Besides stability, the governing issues are vibration behaviour and settlement, which for plant operation are often what actually matters.
How do you handle construction stages?
Where a running plant is altered, the final condition is often not the governing one. Erection sequences, temporary propping and intermediate states are therefore verified separately. These verifications are part of our scope and are not treated as an afterthought.
Your project doesn’t fit in a box? All the better.
Whether a house, bridge or industrial plant: from everyday projects to demanding special solutions, we develop the right, economical structure.
Request a project