A process plant needed a new steel support frame for upgraded equipment. The existing structure was occupied, and the new frame had to fit between existing pipework and services with minimal tolerance. The engineering drawings were detailed, but site access was limited — components had to be small enough to be manoeuvred through an existing doorway.
We broke the frame into transportable sections that could be bolted together on site. We laser-cut and welded columns, beams and bracing in-house, punched all connection holes to match the drawing, and hot-dip galvanised through our partner for corrosion protection. Each section was numbered and tagged. On site, the erectors bolted the sections together without re-drilling, even around the existing services.
The frame was erected in a single day, with no on-site modification needed. The galvanised finish is holding up well in the plant environment, and the client has used us for two more structural packages since.
The plant was operational, and access to the installation area was through a single 1.2m-wide doorway. A single welded frame would have been impossible to manoeuvre into place. We broke the structure into six transportable modules that each fit through the doorway, then bolt together on site using engineered connection plates. The erectors carried each section in by hand, positioned them, and bolted the whole frame together in a single day.
Galvanising was specified by the client because the area is a washdown zone — regular hosing and chemical exposure would rust painted steel within a year. Hot-dip galvanising gives a maintenance-free coating that lasts for decades in that environment.
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