Structural Design
Structural engineering for industrial and infrastructure steel
Element Mechanical Design provides structural engineering services for industrial steelwork, pipeline infrastructure, process facility structures and equipment support frameworks. We size members, design connections, run structural analysis and produce the documentation required to build and certify industrial structures — from a single pipe bridge to a complete module frame.
Structural engineering that starts with the loads
Every industrial structure carries a specific set of loads — dead load, live load, wind, seismic, thermal, equipment dynamic forces and in some cases impact. The right structural design starts by defining those loads accurately, not by applying a rule of thumb and adding a margin. We identify the governing load combinations for your structure, size members and connections against them, and produce calculations that a design verifier can follow.
We work across the full scope of industrial structural engineering — from hand calculations on a simple bracket to FEA-backed analysis of a complex multi-load module frame. The deliverable is always the same: a structure that is demonstrably adequate, documented clearly and ready to build or certify.
The load case is the foundation. If you don’t know what the structure is actually carrying — not what you think it’s carrying, what it actually is — the rest of the analysis is just arithmetic on the wrong numbers. We start every structural job by nailing down the loads before we draw a single member.
Daniel Berti, Mechanical Engineering Team Leader
What we design and analyse
Pipe bridges and pipeline supports
We design pipe bridge structures, pipeline support frames, pipeline crossings and anchor structures for above-ground pipelines. Structural analysis covers pipe weight, thermal expansion loads, wind, seismic and hydrotest pressure. We size members and connections to AS 4100 and produce documentation for certification where required.
Module frames and structural packages
We design structural module frames for process facilities, offshore topsides and relocatable plant packages. Frame design accounts for equipment loads, lifted weight, transport loads and the dynamic forces imposed by the equipment the module houses. We produce the full structural package including member sizing, connection details and lifting arrangement calculations.
Equipment support structures
We design steel support structures for vessels, tanks, heat exchangers, motors, compressors and other process equipment. Structural analysis covers equipment weight, nozzle loads, thermal growth, wind and seismic loading. We design for maintenance access and consider equipment removal paths in the structure geometry.
Structural verification and checking
We review and verify existing structural designs — checking member adequacy, connection capacity and load case coverage against the applicable standard. This service is common for designs produced by other parties that require independent verification, for structures being modified or repurposed, and for legacy structures with no original calculations.
Access platforms, walkways and steelwork
We design access platforms, maintenance walkways, stairways and handrail systems to AS 1657 for process facilities, mining infrastructure and industrial plant. Structural members are sized for live load, wind and maintenance equipment loads. Grating layouts, non-slip surface specifications and connection details are included in the drawing package.
Structural failure investigation
We investigate structural failures — cracked welds, buckled members, collapsed connections and fatigue fractures — to identify the root cause and recommend a corrective design. Investigation typically involves reviewing the original drawings and calculations, assessing the as-built condition, and running analysis to confirm the failure mechanism. We produce a written report covering findings and recommendations.
Services we apply to structural design
Structural design projects draw on a combination of our core engineering services. The scope depends on the complexity of the structure and the evidence required for certification or approval.
Computer Aided Design (CAD)
We build 3D structural models for all design work — member geometry, connection details, gussets and base plates. The CAD model is the source for fabrication drawings, structural analysis and certification documentation. For complex structures, clash detection and access checking in the 3D model prevents problems that only become visible on site.
Finite Element Analysis (FEA)
For structures where load paths are complex, geometry is irregular or certification evidence requires simulation, we run FEA directly on the structural model. FEA is particularly valuable for connection zones with high stress concentration, structures under dynamic or fatigue loading, and certification submissions where hand calculations alone are insufficient.
Cyclonic Wind Loading
For structures in WA’s cyclonic wind regions, wind loading to AS/NZS 1170.2 is often the governing load case. We apply the correct regional wind classification and terrain category to every structure in a cyclonic region, and we use CFD wind analysis for structures with irregular geometry or proximity effects where code-prescribed pressure coefficients are unreliable or overly conservative.
Fabrication Design
Once structural member sizes and connection details are confirmed, we produce the fabrication drawing package — weldment models, detail drawings, cut lists and DXF outputs. The fabrication documentation comes directly from the structural model, so member sizes and connection details are always consistent between the calculations and the drawings.
Certification
Industrial structures that require design registration with WorkSafe WA or DMIRS need a complete certification package — calculations, FEA evidence where applicable, drawing package and compliance statement. We produce and submit the package, and we manage any queries from the design verifier through to approval.
Structural design capabilities
| Structure types | Pipe bridges, pipeline supports, module frames, equipment support structures, access platforms, structural steelwork for process facilities, structural verification |
| Standards | AS 4100 (structural steel), AS/NZS 1170 series (structural loading), AS 1657 (platforms and walkways), AS 4600 (cold-formed steel) |
| Load cases | Dead, live, wind (including cyclonic), seismic, thermal, equipment dynamic, crane and lift, hydrotest |
| Analysis methods | Hand calculations, linear structural analysis, FEA for complex geometry and certification evidence |
| Deliverables | Structural calculations report, CAD model, fabrication drawings, connection details, FEA report, certification package |
| Integrated with | Fixed Plant Design, Mobile Plant Design, Cyclonic Wind Loading, Fabrication Design |
How a structural design engagement works
- Briefing — We review the structure type, geometry, applicable standard, site conditions and any certification requirements. We define the load cases and confirm the analysis method before work begins.
- Concept design — We establish the structural arrangement, member profiles and connection strategy. For complex structures, we build the initial CAD model at this stage to confirm geometry before detailed analysis begins.
- Structural analysis — We run the analysis — hand calculations, linear analysis or FEA depending on the structure — and size all members and connections against the governing load combinations.
- Detailed design — We complete the CAD model, detail all connections, base plates and stiffeners, and confirm that the as-drawn geometry matches the analysis model.
- Documentation — We issue the structural calculations report and drawing package. For certification projects, we assemble the full evidence package and submit to the relevant authority.
- Fabrication support — We produce fabrication drawings, cut lists and DXF outputs from the structural model and remain available for workshop queries during construction.
Frequently asked questions — structural design
About the service
We design industrial and infrastructure structures in steel — pipe bridges, pipeline support frames, process facility steelwork, module frames, equipment support structures, access platforms and structural packages for fixed and mobile plant. We do not design buildings, residential structures or civil infrastructure. Our structural work is industrial steel: the frames, supports, bridges and platforms that industrial plant and pipeline infrastructure depends on.
Yes. Structural verification is a common service — for designs that require independent checking, for structures being modified or repurposed, and for legacy structures with no original calculations. We review the existing geometry and documentation, run the analysis against the applicable standard and produce a written verification report. If the original design has deficiencies, we report them clearly and recommend the remediation required.
Yes. While most of our work is in WA, structural engineering principles and Australian Standards apply nationwide. We work with clients across Australia and can produce documentation for structures in any state or territory. For sites in other jurisdictions, we confirm the applicable local requirements at briefing — structural loading standards, certifying authority requirements and any state-specific variations — and apply them to the analysis.
Analysis and standards questions
Our primary standard for structural steelwork is AS 4100. Structural loading follows the AS/NZS 1170 series — dead and live loads to AS/NZS 1170.1, wind loading to AS/NZS 1170.2 and seismic loading to AS/NZS 1170.4 where applicable. Access platforms and walkways are designed to AS 1657. For projects with international requirements, we work to ISO, Eurocode and AISC standards. We confirm the applicable standards at briefing and document them clearly in the calculations.
Hand calculations are appropriate for straightforward structures with regular geometry, standard member profiles and clear load paths — most pipe supports, simple platforms and standard equipment frames. FEA is required when geometry is complex, load paths are irregular, stress concentrations at connections are the critical design consideration, or the certification authority requires simulation evidence. We use whichever method is appropriate for the structure and scope, and we are transparent about the choice and its implications for accuracy and cost.
Yes. All outdoor structures in Australia require wind load design to AS/NZS 1170.2 regardless of whether the site is in a cyclonic wind region. Non-cyclonic sites carry lower regional wind speeds, but wind loading can still govern the structural design — particularly for tall, slender or exposed structures. We apply the correct wind region and terrain category for the site location in every structural analysis.
Project and process questions
Yes. We handle the full scope from structural calculations through to fabrication drawings, cut lists and DXF outputs. Because the structural analysis and the fabrication documentation come from the same 3D model, member sizes and connection details are always consistent between the calculations and the drawings. See our Fabrication Design page for the drawing and documentation deliverables.
It depends on the structure type and its classification under WA workplace safety legislation. Classified plant — including certain lifting equipment and pressure-containing structures — requires design registration with WorkSafe WA or DMIRS before manufacture. Structural steelwork that supports classified plant may require certification as part of that registration. General structural steelwork not classified as plant does not require formal design registration, but must still be designed to the applicable Australian Standard and documented such that a competent engineer can verify its adequacy. We advise on the certification requirements for your specific structure at briefing.
A single structure — a pipe bridge, an equipment support frame or an access platform — typically takes one to three weeks from briefing to issued calculations and drawings. A multi-structure package for a process facility or pipeline corridor takes four to ten weeks depending on the number of structures, analysis complexity and certification requirements. We scope the timeline at briefing and flag any items that could affect it, including certification authority turnaround times.
Need structural design?
Send us your structure type, site location, applicable standard and any existing geometry. We will come back with a scope and a quote — usually within one business day.