Foundations for Machinery, Tanks and Silos

Foundations that reconcile equipment loads, ground conditions and future extensions

In plant construction, the foundation is often the first item on the critical path. It has to be finished before installation starts, and it can hardly be changed afterwards. INOPCO designs foundations for machinery, process equipment, tanks, silos and conveyors, with calculations, formwork and reinforcement drawings.

We work with supplier load data and the geotechnical report. Where the ground cannot take the loads directly, we design deep foundations and prepare the bills of quantities for specialist foundation works.

Discuss foundation design
3D foundation model for new grain silos on piles next to an existing building

What an equipment foundation has to do

An equipment foundation transfers the loads of a machine, tank or silo into the ground and keeps settlement and deformation within the limits set by the manufacturer. Reinforced concrete is designed to EN 1992, geotechnics to EN 1997.

Unlike in building construction, loads are often uneven, changing or dynamic: tanks are filled and emptied, machines start and stop. On top of that come embedded parts, anchors and openings that must be placed to the millimetre.

What we design foundations for

  • Machinery and process equipment, including dynamic loads
  • Tanks, vessels and silos
  • Supports for conveyor bridges, bucket elevators and pipe racks
  • Steel plant structures and platforms
  • Extensions on existing floor slabs

What matters for equipment foundations

Six points we clarify early on every project

Dynamic loads

Load components from operation, start-up and impact according to supplier data. Whether a separate vibration check is needed is clarified at the start.

Fill conditions

Tanks and silos empty, in operation and under test filling; for silos also uneven filling and discharge.

Ground and settlement

Parameters from the geotechnical report, permissible settlement and, where needed, deep foundations with a bill of quantities for specialist works.

Anchors and embedded parts

Anchor bolts, anchor plates and openings from supplier drawings, with tolerances and grout gaps.

Connection to existing structures

Verify new loads on existing slabs and foundations or separate new foundation bodies.

Water protection

For substances hazardous to water, design foundation, bund and sealing surface together. AwSV / WHG planning

Foundations in our projects

Silos, conveyors and equipment changes in existing plants
Grain silo expansion with conveyor technology at a bioethanol plant

Four silos of about 1,150 t

Foundations for silos, conveyor bridges and bucket elevator, deep foundations on ground of limited capacity, prepared for three further silos.

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Existing steel structure with pipework in a sugar factory

Load comparison in a sugar factory

New filter presses with a different mass: existing versus new loads for columns and foundations, dynamic factors as specified by the manufacturer.

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Site layout of the biorefinery in Saxony-Anhalt

Buildings for a biorefinery

Concrete, steel and structural design for the control building with laboratory and the main and sub-distribution stations of a major project.

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From load plan to finished foundation

How foundation design proceeds

1. Collect loads

Bring together supplier layouts, weights and dynamic data and request missing values.

2. Choose the foundation

Select the foundation type using the geotechnical report and existing structures, allowing for extensions.

3. Calculations and permit

Prepare checkable foundation calculations and coordinate with the checker.

4. Drawings and embedded parts

Produce formwork and reinforcement drawings with anchors, openings and tolerances.

5. Quantities and tendering

Prepare quantities and bills of quantities for earthworks, specialist foundations and concrete works.

Related services: structural engineering for industrial facilities, steel structures and pipe racks, formwork and reinforcement drawings, execution planning and building permit and approval planning.

Frequently asked questions on foundation design

Loads, ground and embedded parts
A layout drawing with anchor positions, weights at rest and in operation, static and dynamic load components, speeds or load frequencies, permissible settlements and tolerances. For filter presses in a sugar factory, for example, the dynamic factors specified by the manufacturer went into the design.
When the ground cannot carry the loads with acceptable settlement. The geotechnical report provides the parameters, and we agree the foundation type with the geotechnical engineer. For four new grain silos this was the case because the ground had limited bearing capacity.
Yes, if the extension is known early. For the silo expansion, a later addition of three more silos was part of the foundation design and the structural calculations.
Position and loads come from the supplier. We transfer them into formwork and reinforcement drawings, check edge distances and bar arrangement, and agree tolerances and grout gaps with the installer.
The German AwSV regulation applies. Foundation, bund and sealing surface have to be designed together, for example with liquid-tight concrete and a verified retention volume. More on the AwSV and WHG planning page.
Sometimes. We recalculate the slab with the new loads. If it is not sufficient, we design a separate foundation or local strengthening. For the silo expansion, new loads were verified on existing floor slabs.

Is new equipment coming to your site?

Send us the site, the task and where your planning stands today. Existing structural calculations, equipment layouts and supplier load data help us agree scope, interfaces and dates with you quickly.
Discuss foundation design