Six cranes. Two 30-metre spans. One stable factory.
How we delivered the full design package for a 19,000 m² steel factory on a 129,000 m² site in Umm Saaed: two Steel Structures with 30-metre spans, every connection and every fabrication drawing, a Structural Design Review of the fabrication, and Lateral Stability proven under six moving cranes.
Project stakeholders
The difficulty
Six cranes run on double rails, three on each side. Each weighs 16 tonnes and lifts 16 tonnes. Every wheel load moves along the building all day. We applied a Dynamic Amplification Factor to the crane loads, ran a Foundation Uplift and Overturning Check, and kept Serviceability Limitations tight so the cranes run smoothly.
We drew influence lines for all the girders, designed the crane girders ourselves and calculated their influence lines in full. Then we built the load cases with the cranes moving and combined them with earthquake, using the Seismic Response Spectra, the Seismic Base Shear Calculation and the right Response Modification Coefficient, with the Environmental Effect of wind included.
Each structure has two spans of 30 m side by side, and the rest of the floor area continues in the extension. The width of the spans and the height of the frames made the structure slender and sensitive. We checked Second Order P-Small Delta Effects on the frames and designed the Anchor Bolt Anchorage Capacity ourselves, so the base connections carry what the frames deliver.
With this span, this height and this crane load, stability was the hardest part of the project. We completed a Stability Check of the building in every loading case, reviewed Lateral Drift, and examined Second Order Effects for the complete frames.
Our edge
One consultant from calculation to the workshop floor.
Design package, civil works, fabrication drawings and fabrication technical review, all from the same team.
Every connection designed, down to the anchor bolts.
Nothing is left to guesswork between the drawing and the site.
Six cranes, three on each side, planned in from day one.
The building is engineered around what it will lift.
Proven in every position of the crane.
Each girder was checked along its full length, with earthquake included.
No hand-offs, no gaps.
The team that designed your factory also issues the fabrication drawings, so nothing is lost between the design office and the workshop.
From our work
Designing a 19,000 m² steel factory on a 129,000 m² site in Umm Saaed meant solving stability where it is hardest: two 30-metre spans at a great height, carrying six cranes on double rails, three on each side, each with a 16-tonne capacity. Stability was never easy on this project, because the heaviest loads never stay in one place. To overcome this, our team drew influence lines for every girder, designed the crane girders ourselves with complete influence-line calculations, and then built the load cases with the cranes moving and combined them with earthquake, so the safety of the building was proven in every crane position and every loading case. The same team designed every type of connection, including the anchor bolts, checked the uplift and the foundation design, carried out the civil works, and issued all the fabrication drawings, while ICON supervised the work on site. This achievement reflects the ability of Struct International Limited for Engineering Consultancy to combine intelligent calculation with deep engineering expertise to safeguard our clients' investments and deliver a factory that works from its first day.
— Eng. Mohamed Salah · C.E.O | Structural Engineer (A) · UPDA 25935
Send us your layout and crane schedule and we will tell you what the structure needs and design the crane girders for you..
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