Design & Build of Industrial Units - An Overview
The below article helps you to understand the basics of the design & build of steel frame industrial & commercial units.
The topics covered in this article include:
- The types of industrial unit construction
- Portal frame structures
- The erection of industrial units
- Lead times for industrial unit construction
What types of industrial unit construction are there?
Industrial units are typically single-storey structures that consist of a “steel portal frame” that is clad with steel sheets forming the roof and walls. The most common cladding is a “double-skin” type, which consists of two metal sheets with a layer of insulation material sandwiched between. Brickwork may also surround the lower part of the building, forming doors and window frames of the industrial unit.
What is a portal frame structure?
A portal frame structure consists of a series of horizontally braced frames, typically constructed using steel. They are the most commonly used structural arrangements for single-storey, low-rise industrial units with spans of 20 to 60 metres because they:
- Offer large unobstructed floor space
- Are efficient in maximising enclosed volumes
- Can be pre-fabricated off-site
- Are available in a variety of dimensions (and easily customised)
- Can be constructed relatively quickly
- Are cost effective
How are industrial units erected?
The erection of steel portal frames involves the careful lifting, positioning and alignment of steel girders, which are then bolted (or less commonly welded) together to form a frame. Vertical struts are pinned to concrete foundations, while haunches are used to tie girders forming the apex and eaves of the frame. Once the frame is complete, surrounding brickwork and cladding is added to the structure.
What are the typical build lead times?
An industrial unit construction project lead time varies depending on building size, complexity and construction industry work load. As a general rule, a lead-in time of approximately 8 weeks is typical for a standard small to medium-sized industrial building (~ 100,000 square feet, equivalent to ~ 10,000 square metres), increasing to up to 12 weeks for larger projects.
How fast can frame portal structures be built?
The speed of constructing an industrial unit will depend on a number of factors, such as the:
Number of Steel-work Erection Gangs - each gang typically consists of 4 men, a crane and a mobile elevated platform. As a general rule, each gang is capable of erecting approximately 10 tonnes of steel, equivalent to an area of ~ 150 square metres per 8-hour working day in reasonable weather.
Number of Work Fronts - the more fronts on which the industrial unit construction projects can operate the faster the construction can proceed.
Steel Supply Speed - the industrial unit construction project is obviously highly dependent on the scheduled supply and delivery of steel to the construction site.
Weather - poor weather will obviously cause disruption to any building project, and hence a certain allowance poor weather (depending on season) must be considered in the project planning process.
Time of Year - in winter the number of daylight hours are obviously reduced, restricting working hours wrt. to summer.
Site Conditions - well-prepared and safe ground is essential for the project schedule to be maintained. Even if deemed safe, poorly prepared ground will hinder productivity and delay the completion of the industrial unit construction project.
Project Planning - fast schedules with multiple work fronts will require carefully planned and large reserved areas to allow steel-work to be delivered and unloaded on-site, whilst the erection of steel-work in other areas is on-going
Looking to get a quote for building an industrial unit??
We offer commercial & industrial build services to companies across the UK contact us today to get a FREE survey and quotation for your project! You can also use the following link to find out more about
us today to get a FREE survey and quotation for your project! You can also use the following links to find out more about Our industrial unit construction services .
