Structural Engineering for Industrial Facilities

Calculations and detailing for new builds, conversions and equipment changes during operation

Industrial structures carry more than self-weight and snow. Vessels, fill levels, pipework, conveyors and erection stages drive the design. INOPCO designs steel and reinforced concrete structures for production plants, silos, platforms and foundations, from the structural concept to checkable calculations and construction-ready drawings.

Much of our work takes place in existing plants: new equipment goes into buildings that stay in production. We recalculate the existing structure, compare old and new loads and design strengthening with as little intervention as possible.

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3D steel model of a multi-level plant structure with platforms, stairs and pad foundations

What structural engineering covers in industrial projects

Structural engineering demonstrates that a structure transfers all actions safely into the ground. It defines members, sizes, materials and connections. The basis is the Eurocodes, in particular EN 1990 to EN 1993 and EN 1997, with the German national annexes.

Industrial projects add loads from process equipment: vessel and machine weights, fill levels, dynamic components, pipe forces and temporary stages during erection. This data comes from process licensors and suppliers. We transfer it into the calculations and keep queries traceable.

At a glance

  • Steel and reinforced concrete for new and existing structures
  • HOAI work stages 1 to 6, in full or in part
  • Checkable calculations and coordination with the checker
  • Sectors: chemicals, sugar, bioethanol, process industry
  • Office in Leipzig, projects across Germany

Our structural engineering services

Four focus areas with their own pages, plus two tasks that come up in almost every existing plant

Structural calculations

Calculations with member layout plans, load schedules and design, prepared for checking and coordinated with the checking engineer or authority.

Steel structures and pipe racks

Platforms, plant structures and pipe routes from calculations to construction drawings, as the basis for the steel contractor’s workshop drawings. Steel structure design

Equipment foundations

Foundations for machinery, tanks, silos and conveyors, with deep foundations where required. Foundation design

Formwork and reinforcement

Construction-ready drawings for concrete members with embedded parts, openings and steel quantities. Formwork and reinforcement drawings

Existing structures

Updating existing calculations, comparing old and new loads, recalculating concrete and steel members and targeted strengthening.

Construction and erection stages

Temporary roof openings, installation routes and intermediate stages verified so that equipment changes run safely and to plan.

Structural engineering in our projects

Three examples from the sugar and bioethanol industries
Existing steel structure with pipework in a sugar factory

Filter presses in a sugar factory

Comparison of existing and new loads for columns, foundations and joints, recalculation of the concrete slab at +7.00 m and strengthening from below.

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

Grain silos at a bioethanol plant

Four silos of about 1,150 t each, with an option for three more: foundation calculations, deep foundations on ground of limited bearing capacity, formwork and reinforcement drawings.

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3D plant model of a bioethanol unit with steel structure, column and pipework

Distillation column in existing steelwork

Updated permit calculations, new equipment integrated into existing steelwork and a roof penetration for a DN900 line.

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How the work proceeds

HOAI work stages, adapted to industrial projects

1. Basis and concept

Review the existing structure, ground conditions, plant layout and load data. Compare options for structure and foundations (stages 1 to 3).

2. Permit calculations

Prepare checkable calculations and member layout plans for the building application and coordinate with the checker (stage 4).

3. Construction documents

Produce formwork, reinforcement and steel construction drawings with embedded parts (stage 5).

4. Quantities for tendering

Determine concrete, reinforcement and steel quantities and supplement the specifications (stage 6).

Related services: steel structures and pipe racks, foundations for machinery, tanks and silos, formwork and reinforcement drawings, execution planning and building permit and approval planning.

Frequently asked questions on structural engineering

Scope, checking and collaboration
The German fee scale HOAI divides structural engineering into work stages 1 to 6. We take on all of them or individual stages, for example only the calculations for the building permit or the construction documents based on an existing design. The scope is agreed in writing before work starts.
Whether an independent check is required, and by whom, is set by the building code of the federal state concerned. In many cases this is a certified checking engineer or a checking authority. We deliver checkable documents, coordinate with the checker and incorporate their comments.
A comparison of existing and new loads, together with a recalculation of the affected members, answers that. In a sugar factory, the +7.00 m level initially could not carry new filter presses. The design therefore strengthened the level from below, with as little intervention in the existing structure as possible.
Layout drawings, weights for empty, operating and test conditions, support and anchor loads, dynamic load components, temperatures and the position and size of openings and embedded parts. Missing data is listed early as an open item.
Yes. Our office is in Leipzig. We work for sites in Central Germany, such as Leuna and Zeitz, and for projects elsewhere in Germany. Site rules of park operators and clients’ company standards are built into the design.
We model steelwork, equipment and pipework in 3D where it helps the project, so clashes show up early. Models are exchanged with other designers via IFC where this is part of the agreed scope.

Planning a conversion or an extension?

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 structural engineering