Secondary Steel Structure Works

We draw the secondary work against the primary steel and the services that will run through it: cable trays, ducts, pipework and equipment that need clearances and penetrations. Clashes are resolved on paper, where a change costs an hour — not after galvanising, where it costs a week.

Where only the primary frame exists, our surveyors measure it as built, and fabrication follows those dimensions rather than the design drawing alone.

Penetrations and clearances are drawn, not assumed: a duct that crosses a mezzanine beam, a pipe that passes through a platform edge, a cable tray that needs a notched kicker — each is coordinated with the responsible discipline before steel is cut. Where a penetration weakens a member, the stiffening or trimming is designed and approved rather than improvised with a torch on site. The result is that trades arrive to find their routes already provided for, instead of negotiating with finished steelwork.

Access steelwork is where users meet the structure daily: ladder cages, stair treads, landings, handrail heights and toe boards. These are fabricated to the loads and heights the drawings specify and checked during installation for consistency.

Platforms and mezzanines are delivered with decking fixed, edges protected and, where required, integrated with fall protection systems so maintenance crews can use them safely from day one.

Heights, gate widths and clearances are set by the drawings and by the standards the project follows — handrail height, toe-board depth, stair pitch and landing dimensions are fabricated to suit, not trimmed to fit. Load ratings for platforms and walkways are stamped on the data plate at the access point, so anyone who later adds equipment knows what the deck was designed to carry. Fixings are checked for torque after installation, and decking is walked for rattles and proud fixings before the crew leaves.

The cheapest time to install secondary steel is while the main erection crew and access equipment are still on site. We sequence the work into the same programme, reducing double handling and the need to mobilise again later.

Installation uses the same access, permits and supervision already mobilised for the main works, which shortens both the programme and the safety briefing. Fixings into completed steel are drilled to the coordinated pattern, with care for what sits behind the face — no bore strikes a hidden service because the location was drawn first. The work is then inspected alongside the main structure, so snag lists stay short and the site hands over one steel package instead of small items scattered across trades.

After handover, additions and modifications are handled through field maintenance. Send us the scope and we will price fabrication and installation together.