Structural Fabrication

Fabco Engineers fabricates and erects structural steel for industrial plants across Karnataka. Boiler support structures, access platforms, walkways, equipment frames, tank supports and pipe racks.

We carry out structural steel fabrication Bangalore factories need for plant that has to carry load, resist heat and stay safe under people for decades. Industrial steelwork is not the same discipline as building construction, and treating it that way causes problems.

What industrial steelwork has to cope with

A boiler support frame carries dead load, thermal expansion from the equipment it holds, vibration and occasional shock. A platform above a steam header sits in ambient temperatures that would be unacceptable elsewhere. A pipe rack has to accommodate lines that grow and shrink measurably between cold and operating conditions.

Designing for the static load alone is how you end up with cracked welds and loosened bolts within a few years. We account for thermal movement, provide sliding supports where expansion demands them, and detail connections that can be inspected and maintained.

What we fabricate

Boiler and equipment supports. Frames and saddles sized to the manufacturer’s loadings with provision for expansion.

Access platforms and walkways. Chequered plate or grating decks with handrails, toe boards and stairs or ladders to appropriate standards. Access that is awkward does not get used, and equipment that is not accessible does not get maintained.

Pipe racks and supports. Primary racks, hangers, guides and anchors positioned according to the stress analysis rather than convenience.

Tank and vessel supports. Saddles, skirts and support rings.

Structural modifications. Openings, reinforcement and alterations to existing steelwork to accommodate new plant.

Miscellaneous fabrication. Chutes, hoppers, guards, ducting supports, chimney supports and the general items every plant needs.

How we work

Fabrication happens in our own facility where dimensional control, weld quality and finishing are easier to manage than on site. Members are cut, drilled and assembled to drawing, welds are inspected and steelwork is surface prepared and painted before delivery.

On site we erect, level, align and bolt or weld connections as designed, then apply touch up where handling has damaged the coating. For structural steel fabrication Bangalore plants will rely on for twenty years, surface preparation matters as much as the steel. Paint applied over mill scale fails early regardless of what the specification claims.

Material and traceability

We use material to standard with test certificates, which matters when steelwork carries pressure equipment or forms part of an IBR registered installation. Where clients supply their own steel we will work with it, but we will say plainly if what has arrived is unsuitable.

Welding is done by qualified welders to appropriate procedures. For critical connections we can arrange non destructive testing.

Design and drawing

Many clients approach us with a requirement rather than a drawing. We survey, take dimensions off existing plant and produce fabrication drawings for approval before cutting anything. Where the requirement is structurally significant we involve a consulting structural engineer for calculations and certification.

Working from measurements taken on site rather than assumed dimensions is the reason our steelwork fits when it arrives. Retrofitting into an existing plant leaves very little tolerance, and a member that is fifty millimetres out is scrap.

Safety and access design

Platforms and walkways get used at night, in the rain, by people carrying tools. Handrail heights, toe boards, stair pitch, landing sizes and clearances exist as standards because of accidents that have already happened.

We design access for real conditions including gloved hands, restricted visibility and the fact that people take the shortest route rather than the intended one. Where a client asks for something that would create a hazard, we propose an alternative rather than simply building it.

Coatings and how long steelwork actually lasts

Finish is a decisive part of structural steel fabrication Bangalore industrial sites demand. The paint specification decides whether a structure needs attention in five years or twenty five. Inside a dry covered plant a primer and finish coat is adequate. Near a washdown bay, a cooling tower or anything handling chemicals, that same system fails quickly.

We recommend coatings based on where the steel will stand rather than applying one specification everywhere. For aggressive locations, galvanising or a zinc rich primer under an epoxy system costs more initially and considerably less over the life of the structure. For steelwork close to hot surfaces, ordinary paint simply degrades and heat resistant coatings are the only sensible option.

Surface preparation is where most coating failures originate. Blast cleaning to the right standard before priming is not an optional refinement, and paint over mill scale or rust will lift no matter how good the topcoat is.

Bolted or welded, and why it matters

Bolted connections can be dismantled, inspected and adjusted, which suits anything likely to be modified or relocated. Welded connections are stiffer and cleaner but permanent. We choose based on whether the structure will realistically be altered during its life.

For plant that changes as processes change, and most food and pharmaceutical plants do, designing for future modification is worth the small extra cost. Structures that were welded solid and now block a new line get cut out at considerable expense.

Retrofitting into existing buildings

The majority of structural steel fabrication Bangalore plants commission is retrofit work rather than new build. New equipment goes into a building designed around something else, often with limited headroom, existing services in the way and floor loading nobody has documented.

We survey properly before designing, including checking what the existing structure can carry before hanging anything from it. Assuming an existing beam will take a new load is a mistake with serious consequences, and verifying it costs very little by comparison.

Site work in operating plants

Most of our erection happens in running factories. Hot work near flammable materials, overhead work above production lines and lifting near live equipment all require planning and permits. We sequence work to avoid stopping production wherever possible and coordinate shutdown activity where it is unavoidable.

Maintenance of existing steelwork

Industrial steel corrodes, particularly near steam, chemicals and washdown areas. We survey existing structures, identify section loss, repair or replace affected members and recoat.

Corrosion under insulation is worth specific mention because it is invisible until it is serious. Where insulated pipe supports and clad structures have not been inspected in years, opening a few representative points is a cheap way to find out where you stand.

Who we work for

Parle, Althera, Cothas Coffee, Akshaya Patra, Micro Labs, VH Group, Arvind Fashions, Pioneer Laundry and Swastiks. Food and pharmaceutical plants apply particular requirements around finish, cleanability and material, and we work to those routinely.

Discussing your requirement

Whether you have drawings ready or only a problem to solve, start with a site visit and measurements. For structural steel fabrication Bangalore plants can build around, call Fabco Engineers or send your requirement through the enquiry form.