Industrial Architecture and Structural Engineering Design for Energy and Industrial Facilities
As part of Chess Energy’s comprehensive engineering design services, industrial architecture covers the design of buildings, foundations and load-bearing structures that support process systems.
Chess Energy designs industrial architectural and structural solutions that support the safe operation, operability and maintainability of process systems.
Our design approach is centred on process requirements.
Well-prepared architectural and structural engineering design contributes to safe and cost-effective operation, maintainability and the coordinated integration of mechanical, electrical and control systems.
Why Are Process-Supporting Architecture and Structural Design Important?
Architecture and structural systems designed around process requirements play a fundamental role in the safe installation and operation of process systems.
A properly designed building and structural system can contribute to:
- safe installation of process equipment and systems,
- maintainability,
- consideration of fire and explosion protection requirements,
- coordination between engineering disciplines,
- more predictable construction delivery.
A properly designed structure takes account of loads from equipment, tanks and pipelines, as well as the access required for maintenance.
Careful design supports more predictable construction delivery and helps avoid later clashes between the process system and the building structure.
Which Engineering Tasks Are Included in Industrial Architecture?
Designing the buildings, foundations and load-bearing structures required for a specific process requires coordinated input from several engineering disciplines.
The objective of the design is to ensure that process systems can be safely installed, operated and maintained within the facility.
Industrial and Utility Buildings
- spatial and functional layout of the facility and definition of room relationships,
- design of utility and service buildings, including machinery buildings, electrical and instrumentation distribution buildings, cable rooms, operator rooms and control rooms,
- design of building structures, including walls, floor slabs and roofs.
Foundations
- foundations for equipment, tanks and buildings,
- design of pad, strip and raft foundations,
- machine foundations designed with dynamic loads in mind.
Support and Steel Structures
- pipe supports and pipe racks,
- operating platforms, decks, walkways and stairs,
- equipment frames and process support structures.
Structural Engineering Calculations
- structural sizing of load-bearing elements,
- consideration of loads from machinery, tanks and pipelines,
- vibration, wind and seismic assessments.
How Does Industrial Architecture Interface with Other Engineering Disciplines?
Industrial architecture and structural engineering design are closely integrated with mechanical, electrical and control systems.
Early multidisciplinary coordination during the design phase supports the development of process systems that are safe, buildable and maintainable over the long term.
Architectural and structural solutions interface closely with the other engineering disciplines:
they provide the spatial and structural basis for mechanical, electrical and control-system routing and equipment placement,
in coordination with mechanical engineering, they define the location and support requirements of heavy equipment,
they accommodate the layout of machinery buildings, switchgear rooms and cable spaces,
they may influence the design of lightning-protection and earthing systems.
This level of coordination is a fundamental prerequisite for safe and buildable process-system design.
Standards and Permitting
In industrial architectural and structural engineering design, we place particular emphasis on applicable regulations, safety requirements and permitting considerations.
Our work is developed in accordance with applicable building and structural requirements – including the Eurocode series – and is tailored to the specific characteristics of the industrial environment.
During design, we also consider fire and explosion protection requirements – including the spatial treatment of hazardous Ex-classified areas – and, where required, support the preparation of documentation for building permitting.
What Documentation Is Produced During Industrial Architectural Design?
The design deliverables typically include the following documents supporting permitting and construction:
architectural floor plans, sections and elevations,
foundation drawings,
steel and structural drawings,
structural calculations,
technical specifications,
material and structural schedules.
Why Do Clients Choose Chess Energy for Industrial Architecture Projects?
Energy and industrial facilities require architectural, structural and process considerations to be managed in a coordinated manner.
Chess Energy’s engineering approach supports this integrated way of working across energy and industrial projects.
Process-Led Industrial Architecture
We design buildings and load-bearing structures around the requirements of the process, while taking operation and maintainability into account.
Integrated Architectural and Structural Design
Architectural and structural engineering are developed as an integrated design, helping reduce the risk of clashes between disciplines.
Oil and Gas Industry Experience
Our experience supports consideration of the specific requirements of pressure-containing and process environments throughout the design process.
Integrated Engineering Capability
Industrial architectural and structural engineering design forms part of Chess Energy’s engineering design capability.
Project management and independent technical supervision are also available as standalone services, enabling us to support clients across multiple project phases.
Let’s Discuss Your Project
Do you need a building, foundation or load-bearing structure designed to support a specific process system?
Let’s discuss how architectural and structural engineering solutions can support safer, more cost-effective and predictable project delivery.
If you have further questions about the service, please see the frequently asked questions below.
Frequently Asked Questions – Industrial Architecture
What does industrial architecture mean in this context?
Industrial architecture refers to the design of industrial buildings and structures that support process systems.
In industrial architectural design, buildings, foundations and load-bearing structures are developed around the operational, maintenance and safe-installation requirements of the specific process.
Can architectural and structural engineering be commissioned together?
Yes. We deliver architectural and structural engineering in a coordinated manner, allowing the building and the process system to be designed within a consistent technical framework.
Which types of foundations and structures do you design?
The scope is tailored to the requirements of the specific process: we design pad, strip and raft foundations, machine foundations, and load-bearing and steel structures such as pipe supports, pipe racks and operating platforms.
The design of utility and service buildings may also form part of our scope.
In which industries can industrial architecture be applied?
Industrial architectural design can be applied to energy and industrial facilities where buildings and load-bearing structures must support process systems.
How does the design interface with other engineering disciplines?
Architecture and structural engineering provide the spatial and structural basis for mechanical, electrical and control-system routing and equipment placement.
Early coordination between disciplines can help avoid costly modifications later in the project.
