Short answer
Yes. Industrial and process structures form a substantial part of the studio's background, including manufacturing facilities, energy plants, quarry and materials-handling structures and heavy process installations. Typical commissions include condition surveys of portal frames and steel-framed warehouses, assessment of corrosion and impact damage, appraisal of structures for new plant or increased loading, crane and gantry assessments, and review of access, walkway and platform structures. Inspections are planned around operational constraints so that production is disrupted as little as possible.
Branded guidance note, prepared for project records and circulation to your team.
Typical industrial commissions
- Condition survey of steel portal frames, cladding rails and bracing
- Assessment of corrosion, impact damage and previous ad-hoc repairs
- Appraisal for new plant, conveyors, tanks or mezzanine floors
- Crane runway, gantry and support structure assessment
- Review of access platforms, walkways and ladders
Working around operations
- Inspections scheduled around shutdowns and shift patterns
- Permit-to-work and site induction requirements respected
- Prioritised findings so urgent items are actionable immediately
How BES is typically involved
- BES agrees an inspection scope, access strategy and reporting format before attending.
- Findings are risk-ranked so maintenance budgets can be planned.
- Remedial and strengthening design can follow directly.
Typical process
- 01Scope, access and safety planning
- 02Site inspection
- 03Assessment and risk ranking
- 04Report with prioritised recommendations
- 05Strengthening or remedial design
Common misconceptions
Commonly assumed
“Industrial structures need inspecting only after visible damage.”
In practice
Periodic inspection catches corrosion and fatigue-related issues while remedial work is still cheap.
Commonly assumed
“A structure that has carried a load for years can take more.”
In practice
Added plant loading changes the load path and often the governing check. It must be assessed.
Related tools and services
Resource Centre tool
Structural Inspection Assistant
Prepare for a structural inspection by creating a tailored checklist of useful photographs, documents, observations and access information.
Start Inspection Assistant →Resource Centre tool
Steel Section Capacity Checker
Verify a steel section you have already selected — bending, shear, deflection, web bearing, web crushing and approximate lateral-torsional buckling, with utilisation and reserve capacity.
Open Capacity Checker →Related questions
Discuss your project
General guidance only goes so far. Describe your building and what you are planning, and you will receive project-specific advice from a Chartered Structural Engineer.
Discuss Your Project →Next scheduled review August 2027
Disclaimer
Indicative result only. The calculation depends on the assumptions and information entered and does not constitute structural design or professional advice. Do not use the result for construction, procurement, Building Regulations submissions or safety-critical decisions. All results must be independently verified by a suitably qualified structural engineer before being used for design, construction or regulatory purposes. Bebbington Engineering Studio Ltd accepts no responsibility for reliance placed on unverified results.