Fixed Plant Design
Structural and mechanical design for fixed industrial plant
Element Mechanical Design engineers the structural and mechanical components of fixed industrial plant — conveyor structures, process equipment supports, pipe racks, access platforms, transfer stations and static equipment frames. We take projects from concept through to certified, fabrication-ready documentation.
Engineering fixed plant that stays fixed
Fixed plant operates continuously under demanding loads like impact, vibration, thermal cycling and the relentless movement of bulk material. Structures that are under-designed fail. Structures that are over-desinged cost too much to build and maintain. Getting the engineering right the frist time requires analysis, not estimation.
We apply CAD modelling, structural simulation and bulk material flow analysis to fixed plant design. Every structural member is sized against real load cases. And every transfer point is simulated before the steel is cut. And every certified structure leaves us with documentation ready for WorkSafe WA or DMIRS registration.
Fixed plant doesn’t get a second chance to bed in. It goes in the ground, gets bolted down and runs. If the design wasn’t right before installation, you’re fixing it in the field — which costs ten times what it would have cost to fix it in the model.
Daniel Berti, Mechanical Engineering Team Leader
What we design for fixed plant
Conveyor structures and transfer stations
We design conveyor support structures, walkways, drive frames and transfer station steelwork. Structural members are sized against dead load, live load, conveyor drive forces and wind loading. Transfer chute geometry is modelled in CAD and validated with DEM simulation before fabrication drawings are issued.
Process equipment supports and skids
We design structural skids, equipment frames and supports for pumps, motors, screens, crushers and process vessels. Skid geometry is optimised for the equipment layout, maintenance access and transport constraints. Nozzle loads and equipment dynamic forces are included in the structural analysis.
Pipe racks and structural steelwork
We design pipe rack structures, cable tray supports and overhead steelwork for process facilities. Member sizing accounts for pipe weight, thermal expansion loads, wind loading and maintenance access requirements. We produce full fabrication drawing packages including connection details and anchor bolt layouts.
Access platforms and walkways
We design access platforms, stairways, ladders and handrail systems to AS 1657. Structural members are sized for live load, wind loading and maintenance equipment loads. Drawings include grating layouts, non-slip surface specifications and connection details for bolted or welded installation.
Hoppers, bins and feed systems
We design hopper and bin structures including the supporting steelwork, liners and discharge geometry. Hopper geometry is validated with DEM simulation to confirm reliable flow and minimise wear before the structure is fabricated. Structural analysis covers filling loads, discharge impact and wind on the bin walls.
Pressure vessels and static equipment
We design pressure vessels, tanks and static process equipment to AS 1210 and AS 4041. Structural analysis covers design pressure, nozzle loads, wind and seismic loading and support reactions. Where design registration with WorkSafe WA or DMIRS is required, we produce the complete certification documentation package.
Services we apply to fixed plant design
Fixed plant projects draw on the full range of our engineering services. Depending on the scope of your project, we apply one or more of the following.
Computer Aided Design (CAD)
Every fixed plant project starts with a 3D model. We build complete assembly models including structural steelwork, equipment geometry, access platforms and connection details. The CAD model is the single source of truth for fabrication drawings, structural analysis and certification documentation.
Finite Element Analysis (FEA)
We run structural FEA on fixed plant frames, conveyor structures, pressure vessels and equipment supports. FEA calculates stress, deformation and factor of safety under real operating loads — impact, vibration, thermal and wind — and produces the evidence required for certification submissions to WorkSafe WA and DMIRS.
Discrete Element Modelling (DEM)
For fixed plant that handles bulk material — transfer chutes, hoppers, bins and feed systems — we validate flow behaviour with DEM simulation before fabrication. DEM identifies blockages, excessive wear zones and throughput shortfalls in the model, and the particle impact forces feed directly into the structural FEA.
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
For fixed plant with fluid flow, heat transfer or ventilation requirements — process vessels, dust extraction systems, industrial enclosures — we run CFD to validate thermal and flow performance before commissioning. CFD results also feed into wind load analysis for exposed structures.
Certification
Most fixed plant in WA mining and industrial operations requires design registration with WorkSafe WA or DMIRS before installation. We produce the complete certification package — engineering calculations, FEA evidence, drawing package and compliance statement — and manage the submission process through to approval.
Fixed plant design capabilities
| Structure types | Conveyor structures, process equipment skids, pipe racks, access platforms, hoppers, bins, pressure vessels, transfer stations |
| Structural standards | AS 4100 (structural steel), AS 1657 (platforms and walkways), AS 1210 (pressure vessels), AS 4041 (pressure piping), AS/NZS 1170 (structural loading) |
| Regulatory bodies | WorkSafe WA, DMIRS — design registration for classified plant |
| Analysis | Static structural, FEA, DEM bulk flow simulation, CFD thermal and ventilation |
| Deliverables | 3D CAD model, fabrication drawings, cut lists, DXF outputs, structural calculations, FEA report, certification package |
| Integrated with | Fabrication Design — drawings and cut lists production-ready for the workshop |
How a fixed plant design engagement works
- Briefing — We review the plant layout, equipment specifications, applicable standards, site conditions and any certification requirements. We scope the analysis and documentation required.
- Concept design — We build the initial 3D geometry and confirm the structural arrangement, access provisions and equipment interfaces before detailed design begins.
- Analysis — We run the structural analysis, DEM simulation for bulk material handling components and CFD for fluid or thermal systems. Member sizes and connection details are confirmed against real load cases.
- Detailed design — We complete the 3D model, detail all connections, produce weld symbols and prepare the full drawing package including general arrangement, fabrication and sub-assembly drawings.
- Certification — Where required, we assemble and submit the certification package to WorkSafe WA or DMIRS. We manage the submission and respond to any queries from the design verifier.
- Fabrication support — We issue DXF files and cut lists ready for the workshop and remain available to answer fabrication queries during construction.
Frequently asked questions — fixed plant design
About the service
Fixed plant design covers the structural and mechanical engineering of permanently installed industrial equipment and its supporting infrastructure. This includes the steelwork, frames, platforms and connections that hold process equipment in place and allow it to operate safely under continuous industrial loading. Fixed plant design sits between process engineering — which defines what the equipment does — and fabrication, which builds it. We handle the structural and mechanical design, analysis and certification documentation.
Most of our fixed plant work is for WA mining and mineral processing operations — iron ore, gold, lithium, nickel and base metals processing. We also design fixed plant for grain handling, port infrastructure, quarrying and aggregate processing, and general industrial facilities. The structural engineering principles are consistent across industries; the load cases, material handling characteristics and regulatory requirements vary.
Both. We design complete plant layouts including all structural steelwork, equipment supports, access platforms and transfer points. We also design individual structures — a single conveyor support frame, a hopper and its supporting steelwork, or a pressure vessel skid — as standalone engagements. Most projects start with a single structure and expand as the working relationship develops.
Analysis and certification questions
Most fixed plant in WA mining and industrial operations requires design registration with WorkSafe WA or DMIRS before installation or commissioning. Classified plant — including pressure vessels above certain hazard levels, boilers, conveyor systems above specified parameters and certain lifting equipment — requires a design registration number before manufacture. We prepare the complete registration package and manage the submission. See our Certification page for the full process.
Yes. Transfer chute geometry and hopper discharge profiles are validated with DEM simulation before fabrication drawings are issued. DEM identifies blockages, excessive liner wear zones and throughput shortfalls in the model — problems that are expensive to fix in the field but straightforward to resolve in the design. The particle impact forces from DEM feed directly into the structural FEA on the same geometry. See our Discrete Element Modelling (DEM) page.
Yes. Structures in WA’s cyclonic wind regions require design to AS/NZS 1170.2 using the appropriate regional wind speed and terrain category for the site. We apply the correct wind classification to all fixed plant structures and can use CFD wind analysis for structures with irregular geometry or proximity effects that make code-prescribed pressure coefficients unreliable. See our Cyclonic Wind Loading page.
Project and process questions
Yes. We handle the full scope from initial concept layout through to certified, fabrication-ready documentation. This includes the 3D CAD model, structural analysis and FEA, DEM or CFD simulation where applicable, fabrication drawings and cut lists, and the certification submission to the relevant authority. See our Fabrication Design page for details on the drawing and documentation deliverables.
Yes. We regularly design modifications to existing fixed plant — adding capacity, changing equipment, upgrading structures or correcting a problem with a design that has already been built. We work from existing drawings, site measurements or 3D scans. Where the modification affects a registered design, we manage the amended registration submission as part of the engagement.
A single structure — a conveyor support frame, an equipment skid or an access platform — takes two to four weeks from briefing to certified drawing issue, depending on the analysis complexity and certification requirements. A multi-structure plant installation with several transfer points, a hopper system and process equipment supports takes eight to sixteen weeks. We scope the timeline at briefing and flag anything that could affect it.
Need fixed plant design?
Send us your plant layout, equipment specifications and site conditions. We will come back with a scope and a quote — usually within one business day.