CASE STUDY

CASE STUDY: 180,000 SQM Heavy Industrial Steel Building for a Middle East Energy Contractor

PROJECT OVERVIEW

CUSTOMER PAIN POINTS

1. Large span + heavy crane load required 36m clear span with 50T overhead cranes, beyond what conventional rolled sections could handle
2. Coastal corrosion at the Persian Gulf demanded a robust anti corrosion system rated for aggressive marine atmosphere
3. Strict local code compliance required dual certification under both AISC and EN 1090, plus Saudi municipal approval
4. Tight delivery schedule with a fixed plant commissioning date that left almost no room for fabrication delay
5. Complex shop drawing coordination across 4 building blocks meant high risk of interferences and field rework

CUSTOMIZED SOLUTION

1. Full BIM design and coordination covering structural, connection and MEP clash detection before any steel was cut, eliminating site interferences
2. Q460 high strength heavy steel applied to main frames, reducing member section size and total steel weight while meeting 50T crane load path
3. Fully automated production line with CNC plasma cutting, robotic welding and single pass painting to keep dimensional tolerance and output rate consistent
4. Complete shop drawing package including fabrication, erection, connection and anchor bolt drawings, reviewed and approved by the client engineer
5. Overseas installation guidance with on site supervision reports and step by step erection instructions sent to the local erection crew

PRODUCTION & DELIVERY ON SITE

1. CNC plasma cutting and part nesting for Q460 plates
2. Robotic submerged arc welding of heavy built up columns and crane girders
3. Shot blasting and paint application in the automatic coating line
4. Containerized loading and sea shipment from China port to Jubail

FINAL PROJECT OUTCOME

1. Completed structural installation 12 days ahead of the contractual milestone
2. 50T overhead crane commissioning passed with full load test on first attempt
3. Coastal anti corrosion coating verified by independent paint inspector
4. Building handed over with a complete as built drawing and test record package

COOPERATION VALUE SUMMARY

1. Cost savings of about 15% through optimized Q460 section design and in house fabrication
2. Schedule compression of 12 days on structure plus a smooth interface with the client's plant equipment
3. Local compliance fully satisfied under AISC, EN 1090 and Saudi municipal requirements
4. 30 year corrosion protection delivered by the certified coating system matched to marine environment

CLIENT TESTIMONIAL

"The steel structure arrived on schedule and went together exactly as the shop drawings promised. Our crane commissioning passed on the first full load test, which is rare for a project this size. We are already discussing the next expansion block with the same team."

Project Director, Energy Contractor, Saudi Arabia (published with authorization)