Structural Steel Fabrication & Heavy Engineering Contractor

Structural steel fabrication that lands on its bolts

Structural steel fabrication sounds simple until 200 tons of industrial steel structure arrives on site and one bolt-circle is 5 mm out. Then it isn't. As a dedicated steel structure contractor, HAIL invests heavily in upstream engineering — Tekla Structures 3D modelling, shop drawings, anchor-bolt drawings, erection schemes — so that what arrives on site fits, first time, every time. Workshop fabrication at our 33,000 sq.ft. Kalol workshop near Vadodara runs in parallel with foundation civil work; field erection follows immediately. The result: shorter schedules, fewer rework cycles, and structures that pass first-time alignment checks.

Our heavy steel fabrication capability covers the full weight range from light platforms and walkways (5-10 MT modules) to major pipe rack fabrication packages exceeding 2,000 MT of erected steelwork. Every project runs through the same controlled sequence: 3D model, shop drawings, CNC fabrication, NDT, surface treatment, despatch, and field erection — all managed by one team from our Gujarat base.

Types of structural steel work we deliver

Structural steel fabrication process — engineering to erection

Every structural steel fabrication project at HAIL follows a controlled 7-step sequence. This process applies whether the scope is a 50 MT walkway module or a 2,000 MT pipe rack fabrication package for a refinery complex.

1. 3D modelling & shop drawings — Full Tekla Structures 3D model generated from engineering GA drawings. Deliverables include detailed shop drawings, anchor-bolt layout drawings, bolt take-off lists, erection sequence plans, and piece-mark schedules. Clash detection runs against piping, electrical, and civil models before release for fabrication.
2. Steel procurement & material verification — Structural steel procured to IS 2062 Grade A/B/E or ASTM A36/A572/A992 with mill test certificates. High-strength friction-grip bolts to IS 1367 / ASTM A325/A490. All sections verified for straightness, section properties, and surface condition on receipt at our Kalol workshop.
3. Workshop fabrication — CNC plasma profile cutting for gusset plates, base plates, and stiffeners. CNC beam drilling for bolt holes matched to Tekla coordinates within tolerance. Fit-up and welding of columns, beams, bracings, trusses, and node connections per AWS D1.1 qualified WPS/PQR. Every assembly receives an erection piece mark.
4. NDT & dimensional inspection — Ultrasonic testing on full-penetration welds, magnetic particle testing on fillet welds per code requirement. Dimensional check against shop drawings for length, squareness, hole pattern, and camber. Non-conformances resolved before surface treatment.
5. Surface treatment & protective coatings — Shot blasting to SA 2.5, zinc-rich primer applied within 4 hours. Followed by epoxy intermediate coat and polyurethane topcoat. Intumescent fireproofing applied where required by fire-zone classification. DFT measurements recorded per coat.
6. Field erection with owned cranes — Columns, beams, bracings, and horizontal members erected per planned sequence using our owned 200 / 100 / 50 / 20 MT crawler cranes. Temporary bolting and bracing installed at each bay before releasing crane load. Foundation anchor bolts surveyed with total station and grouted base plates aligned to within 3 mm tolerance.
7. Bolting, survey & handover — High-strength friction-grip bolts installed with calibrated torque wrench to specified pre-load. Field welding completed for moment connections. Final survey for plumbness, elevation, and alignment against design. Punch-list closure, paint touch-up, as-built mark-ups, weld maps, paint DFT reports, and dimensional surveys handed over.

Design codes & material standards for structural steel

As a steel structure contractor serving refineries and petrochemical plants, HAIL designs and fabricates to the following codes and material standards. Code selection depends on the client specification, EPC contractor requirement, and end-user preference.

• Structural design: IS 800 (Indian standard for general construction in steel), AISC 360 (American Institute of Steel Construction — specification for structural steel buildings), BS 5950, EN 1993 (Eurocode 3). Seismic and wind load analysis per IS 1893 / ASCE 7.
• Structural steel materials: IS 2062 Grade A/B/E (Indian standard hot-rolled steel), ASTM A36 (carbon structural steel), ASTM A572 (high-strength low-alloy), ASTM A992 (wide-flange shapes). Plates, sections, channels, angles, and hollow sections procured with mill test certificates and verified on receipt.
• Welding: AWS D1.1 (Structural Welding Code — Steel) and ASME Section IX qualified WPS/PQR. All welders pre-qualified on test coupons before production welding. Processes include SMAW, GMAW, FCAW, and SAW.
• High-strength bolting: IS 1367 / ASTM A325 / ASTM A490 high-strength friction-grip (HSFG) bolts. Torque-controlled installation with calibrated wrenches. Direct tension indicators (DTI washers) used on critical connections.
• Protective coatings: NACE / SSPC surface preparation standards, SA 2.5 blast profile. Coating systems include zinc-rich primer, epoxy intermediate, polyurethane topcoat, and intumescent fireproofing per UL/Lloyd's classification for fire-zone steelwork.
• Quality assurance: Documented Inspection and Test Plan (ITP), weld maps, NDT (UT, MT, PT, VT), dimensional surveys, paint DFT measurement, and complete as-built documentation package.

Structural steel materials — grades and applications

Selecting the right steel grade is critical for structural performance, weldability, and cost. HAIL works with the following grades across our heavy steel fabrication projects:

• IS 2062 Grade A (Fe 410WA): General-purpose structural steel for industrial buildings, walkway structures, and light platforms. Good weldability, widely available in Indian mills.
• IS 2062 Grade B (Fe 410WB): Enhanced impact toughness for pipe rack fabrication and equipment platforms where sub-zero temperatures or dynamic loading are specified.
• IS 2062 Grade E (Fe 540/Fe 570): High-strength steel for long-span trusses, conveyor structures, and heavy industrial steel structures where weight reduction matters.
• ASTM A36: Carbon structural steel — the international equivalent for general structural applications. Used on EPC projects with international specifications.
• ASTM A572 Grade 50: High-strength low-alloy steel for columns, beams, and bracing in pipe racks and process structures where higher allowable stress reduces section weight.
• ASTM A992: Standard for wide-flange structural shapes — the preferred grade for W-sections on AISC 360-designed structures.

Erection capabilities for industrial steel structures

Structural steel fabrication is only half the scope — the other half is safe, accurate field erection. HAIL maintains a dedicated erection division with owned heavy-lift cranes, rigging equipment, and trained erection crews. Our erection capability covers:

• Pipe rack erection: Multi-tier pipe rack fabrication packages erected bay-by-bay with temporary bracing. Anchor bolts surveyed with total station before column erection. HSFG bolting with calibrated torque wrenches.
• Flare stack and chimney erection: Sectional erection of tall flare stacks using tandem crane lifts. Guyed structures with stay-wire tensioning. Internal refractory installation after erection.
• Conveyor structure erection: Long-span conveyor gallery modules lifted and bolted in sequence from foundation to head end. Belt conveyor centreline alignment verified against survey coordinates.
• Heavy module lifts: Pre-assembled modules up to 100 MT lifted as single pieces using our 200 MT crawler crane, reducing field-connection work and improving schedule.
• Brownfield erection in live plants: Hot-work permits, confined-space protocols, and simultaneous operations (SIMOPS) management for erection inside operating refineries and petrochemical plants.

Reference projects — structural steel fabrication

• IOCL Barauni Coker-B Revamp (Ongoing) — Multi-discipline EPCC including pipe rack fabrication, equipment platforms, walkways, structural fireproofing, and associated steelwork for the delayed coker unit revamp.
• IOCL Petroleum Terminal — Amlekhgunj, Nepal — Tank farm structural steelwork, pump house structure, electroforged gratings, handrails, and access steelwork for the cross-border petroleum terminal.
• Phosphoric Acid Tank — Krishna Phoschem, Jhabua MP — Tank platform, walkway structures, formwork, and staging structures for large-diameter chemical storage tank construction.
• Lime Kiln Duct — Nirma Ltd., Bhavnagar for Tuaman Engineering — Heavy steel fabrication of straight duct sections in IS 2062 Grade B, abrasive blasting, protective coating, and third-party inspection at our Kalol workshop.

Why HAIL as your steel structure contractor

Choosing the right steel structure contractor determines whether your structural steel fabrication project finishes on schedule or stalls at erection. Here is what differentiates HAIL from other structural steel fabrication companies in Gujarat and across India:

• Parallel workshop + field execution: Structural steel fabrication at our Kalol workshop runs in parallel with foundation civil work at site — compressing schedules by 30% or more compared to sequential execution.
• Owned crane fleet: 200 / 100 / 50 / 20 MT crawler cranes owned by HAIL — no rental dependency, no schedule risk on heavy lifts. Critical for pipe rack fabrication and flare stack erection where crane availability controls the critical path.
• Tekla 3D modelling accuracy: Full Tekla Structures modelling with clash detection against piping, electrical, and civil disciplines. Shop drawings generated directly from the model — bolt holes match, piece marks are clear, and field fits happen first time.
• In-house coatings and fireproofing: Refinery-grade protective coatings including zinc-rich primers, epoxy systems, and intumescent fireproofing applied at our Kalol workshop. No subcontracting of surface treatment — quality control stays with one team.
• Single-point responsibility: Engineering, heavy steel fabrication, surface treatment, transport, field erection, bolting, survey, and documentation — all delivered by HAIL. One contract, one team, one point of accountability from Vadodara to site.

Workshop capability — Kalol facility near Vadodara

HAIL operates a 33,000 sq.ft. fabrication workshop at Kalol, Gujarat, approximately 25 km from our Vadodara head office. The Kalol workshop is equipped for heavy steel fabrication of industrial steel structures including pipe racks, equipment platforms, conveyor structures, and building steelwork. Key equipment includes CNC plasma cutting tables, CNC beam drilling lines, plate rolling machines, SAW and GMAW welding stations, a shot blasting chamber, and a dedicated painting bay. The workshop handles fabrication packages up to 500 MT per month, with larger packages managed through approved sub-fabricators under our QA supervision. All fabrication at the Kalol workshop follows the same ITP, weld map, and NDT protocols regardless of package size.

Frequently asked questions