Industrial & Manufacturing

Overview

Industrial Structural Engineering

Industrial projects don't follow the same rules as commercial buildings. The loads are heavier, the vibrations are constant, the equipment changes every few years, and the facility can't shut down while you figure out the engineering. That's the reality we design for.

We provide structural engineering for manufacturing plants, processing facilities, power generation sites, and heavy industrial operations. Whether it's a new equipment foundation that needs to be isolated from an existing slab, a crane runway that's been overloaded for years, or a full plant renovation that has to happen in phases while production continues, we handle it.

Our team understands that industrial engineering is as much about sequencing and constructability as it is about load paths and code compliance. We work with plant managers, millwrights, and general contractors to deliver solutions that can actually be built in an operating environment.

Industrial manufacturing facility interior

100k+ sq ftActive Plants Engineered

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Specialty

Equipment Foundations & Crane Systems

Heavy equipment doesn't just sit on a slab. Presses, CNC machines, generators, compressors, and packaging lines each produce different dynamic loads (impact, vibration, thermal expansion) and the foundation has to absorb all of it without transmitting those forces into the surrounding structure.

We design isolated equipment foundations, housekeeping pads, machine pits, and elevated platforms. For crane systems, we handle everything from runway beam design and column bracket connections to rail alignment tolerances and fatigue analysis on existing runways that have been in service for decades.

Equipment foundation design and detailing
Dynamic and vibration isolation analysis
Overhead crane runway beam design
Jib crane and monorail support engineering
Crane rail alignment and fatigue evaluation
Mezzanine and platform framing for operations
Pit and trench structural design
Elevated equipment platform design
Conveyor support structures
Pipe rack and utility support framing

Renovations

Plant Upgrades & Facility Renovations

Renovating an industrial facility while it's still running is one of the hardest things to do in construction. Columns can't move because there's a production line next to them. Roof loads changed when the new HVAC units went up ten years ago and nobody checked the framing. The original drawings are from the 1970s, if they exist at all.

We start every renovation project with a thorough condition assessment of the existing structure. We verify member sizes in the field, test material properties when needed, and build an accurate structural model of what's actually there, not what the original drawings say should be there.

From there, we develop phased reinforcement and modification plans that allow construction to proceed without shutting down the entire plant. We detail temporary shoring, load transfer schemes, and connection modifications that minimize disruption to operations.

Existing structure condition assessments
As-built verification and field surveys
Structural capacity evaluation for new loads
Reinforcement and retrofit design
Phased construction sequencing plans
Temporary shoring and bracing design
Roof structure upgrades for new mechanical
Floor load capacity analysis and upgrades
Column and beam reinforcement details
Historical building code evaluation

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Problem Solving

Engineering Challenges We Solve

Industrial projects come with problems that don't show up in textbooks. Here's what we deal with regularly.

Overloaded Crane Runways

The problem: A facility upgraded crane capacity without re-engineering the runway. Bracket welds are cracking and columns are showing distress.

Our approach: Fatigue analysis on existing connections, runway beam reinforcement or replacement design, and column strengthening details, all phased to keep operations running.

New Equipment on Old Floors

The problem: A new CNC machine weighs three times what the old one did. The slab is cracking around the anchor bolts and nobody knows the existing reinforcing layout.

Our approach: GPR scan the slab, evaluate existing reinforcing and soil capacity, design a new isolated foundation or slab reinforcement that can be installed without relocating adjacent machines.

Roof Overload from Mechanical

The problem: Rooftop HVAC units were added over the years without structural review. The bar joists are deflecting beyond limits and purlins are showing lateral buckling.

Our approach: Field-verify existing framing, analyze actual loads versus original design capacity, then reinforce with supplemental framing or dunnage platforms that distribute loads to main structure.

Vibration Transmission

The problem: A stamping press is transmitting vibration through the slab into a quality control area 80 feet away. Precision measurement equipment can't hold calibration.

Our approach: Vibration monitoring, isolation trench design or saw-cut separation, and an isolated foundation system with spring or elastomeric mounts tuned to the machine's operating frequency.

Missing As-Built Drawings

The problem: The facility was built in 1965 and expanded three times since. Original structural drawings don't exist. The current owner needs to add a second-floor mezzanine.

Our approach: Field investigation with member measurements, material sampling if needed, structural model based on actual conditions, and a mezzanine design that works within the existing column grid.

Phased Demolition & Rebuild

The problem: Half the building is being demolished and rebuilt while the other half stays operational. Existing braced frames and load paths are being disrupted.

Our approach: Temporary lateral stability analysis, shoring and bracing design for each demolition phase, and new structural connections that tie the addition into the existing structure without overloading it.

Deliverables

What We Deliver

Every industrial project includes the documentation and coordination your team needs to get permitted and built.

PE sealed Drawings & Calcs

permit ready structural drawings and calculations sealed by a licensed Professional Engineer in your state.

Condition Assessments

Documented evaluation of existing structural conditions with capacity ratings and recommendations.

Phasing Plans

Step-by-step construction sequences with temporary shoring and bracing details for each phase.

Construction Support

RFI responses, shop drawing review, field inspections, and ongoing engineering support through project completion.