LIGHT METAL FRAMING WORKS FOR INDUSTRIAL SHEDS

Steel structures for industrial sheds

VEXA has gained a decade-long experience in light metal framing structures like industrial sheds. Metal framing works is the sector our Workshops started from. Over the decades, VEXA personnel have progressively consolidated their competences, so as to smoothly accomplish works of light, heavy and special metal framing both for residential projects and for industrial buildings. In this article we would like to introduce four kinds of steel structures for industrial sheds, which were built at the end of 2022 spring. The customer was a company from Milan that operates in the field of energy distribution.

We have chosen to feature these metal structures for sheds within the same article for several reasons. First of all, because they belong to the same metal framing production order. But especially because they allow us to show how diverse and flexible the making of steel light metal framing products for industrial buildings can be. Together as a whole, these four kinds of metal structures for sheds reach a total weight of almost 8,000 kg. Following the purchaser’s project and introducing some betterments we built:
• 3 indoor stairs,
• 1 cantilever roof at the entrance of the industrial shed,
• the steel roofing of the stairwell and
• the steel roofing of the plants.

The making of light metal framing works for industrial sheds

The making of these structures in light metal framing for industrial sheds encompassed several steps. First of all, there was the completion of the design phase, followed by the actual making of the steel artifacts, up to the installation on the site. Who chooses to rely on VEXA knows it well how our workforce have consolidated their method of first building all components at the workshop (beams, columns, stringers, etc.), then proceeding to their assembly right on the construction site with bolts and small blocks.

For these specific metal structures for sheds, VEXA Technical Department coordinated the work with the purchaser’s designer. Based on the provided projects, our personnel developed the nodes and the details, all executive proposals that were presented to the designer and evaluated together. Using Tekla Structures software was of great help for a fast execution of the works. We already took a chance to explain why VEXA has decided to rely on this modelling programme, buying two licenses. Speeding up the making of artifacts is not the only advantage of using this software. It also allows to reduce the risk of error, since it also makes it possible to view the project in 3D.

The design of the steel structures was followed by the actual construction of the components. The making went through the order of the installation steps which were planned for the construction site. At the end of the operations, VEXA personnel carried out the dimensional checks on the parts, along with the visual checks on the welds. Our personnel then focused on the finishing, which was executed with different methods according to the specific needs. VEXA deems it as important to take into account the customer’s requests who, for these steel structures, chose to proceed with:
• hot-galvanising on the stairs and on the steel roofing structure of the offices,
• antirust painting of the cantilever roof, of the stairwell roof and of the plants.
The installation, which was the most delicate step of the works, is hereby explored in detail for every kind of structure that it entails.

The assembly of metal framing structures for industrial buildings

These light metal framing structures for industrial sheds were installed on 4 buildings. To make sure that the installation phase of the steel components could then rapidly go on, we first executed a pre-assembly of stairs and balustrades at our workshop. For what concerns instead the installation order of the structures at the sheds, VEXA followed the instructions given by the customer. According to the progress of the site and of the productive needs of the plant, some buildings required more urgency. Hereafter we provide the exact execution order of the different steps of installation, structure by structure.

Indoor steel stairs

To install the steel indoor stairs, we followed these steps: 
• lying of the columns in 100X100X4 tubulars and ground-anchoring;
• lying of the UPN220 stringers, bolting to the columns and anchoring to the reinforcedconcrete beam with small blocks;
• lying of the steps and of the grating footpace;
• lying of the balustrades and anchoring to the stringers with bolts.

Metal cantilever roof at the entrance

The metal framing cantilever roof at the entrance of the industrial shed was installed by following these steps:
• lying of the dowelled brackets to the reinforced-concrete pillars;
• lying of the HEB200 main beam and anchoring to the brackets with bolts;
• lying of the secondary beams in 100X50X3 tubular and of the purlins in 50X50X3 tubular, anchoring with bolts.

Steel roofing for stairwell

The installation of the steel cover for the shed stairwell required to proceed with:
• anchoring the brackets to the panels and to the reinforced concrete columns, lying of the IPE200 main beam;
• lying of the primary beams for the cover of the stairwell (in tubular 150X100X4), anchoring to the beam with bolts and to the wall with small blocks;
• lying of the purlins of the stairwell roof (in tubular 80X80X4) and anchoring with bolts.

Steel roofing for plants

The installation of the steel roof in light metal framing was carried out by:
• lying the columns and the beams of the plants cover, anchoring with small blocks;
• anchoring the angle brackets to the reinforced concrete wall for the lying of the cover, with small mechanical blocks.

VEXA is here to build metal structures for you sheds

This case is only an example of how VEXA works in the field of light metal framing for industrial sheds. Those who follow our Case History know it is a place for more than just simple reports on our steel makings. Every time we do our best to describe the details of our way of working, which constantly aims at respecting the time-schedule defined with the customer and at the execution speed. Two essential aspects also for the construction of the metal structures for sheds that we presented in this case.
Making these steel structures implied a constant interaction with the purchaser and with the other companies on the construction site. In order to reach the goal of the scheduled timing it was fundamental to coordinate with the construction firm, with the construction electricians involved and so on. For example, during the installation of the structures it was necessary to complement the lying operations with the construction phases of the construction workers. Foreseeing these points, in order to simplify the installing operations, VEXA proposed a few betterments for the installation.
Steel stairs, cantilever roofs and roof covers for industrial buildings are only some of the metal structures that VEXA makes. Are you considering enlarging or optimising the spaces of your industrial sheds? We are here for consultancy and quotations for light, heavy and special metal framing works: info@vexasrl.it.