Large-Span Light Steel Factory Building for Industrial Manufacturing

Nexus Light Steel Manufacturing Plant Project
Country: Netherlands
Location: Rotterdam Industrial Zone, Netherlands
Project Type: Light Steel Factory Building / Portal Frame Steel Workshop
Structure System: Multi-span portal steel frame structure
Application: Industrial production, vehicle assembly, equipment storage and logistics turnover

The Nexus Light Steel Manufacturing Plant is a large-scale prefabricated steel workshop project located in the Rotterdam Industrial Zone, Netherlands. The building was designed as a light steel factory structure for industrial production, equipment assembly, vehicle parking, and logistics circulation.

The project adopted a multi-span portal steel frame system with factory-prefabricated steel columns, roof beams, bracing members, galvanized purlins, roof cladding, wall panels, skylight strips, and drainage components. The overall design focused on fast erection, stable structural performance, controlled steel consumption, and long-term corrosion resistance under European industrial environmental conditions.

The structural design was developed according to the European steel structure design framework, including EN 1993-1-1:2022 Eurocode 3 — Design of Steel Structures, together with the Dutch National Annex for local wind and snow load verification.

For this project, wind load and snow load assumptions were checked based on the Netherlands’ local application of Eurocode 1, including:

• NEN-EN 1991-1-4+A1+C2:2011/NB:2019 for wind actions
• NEN-EN 1991-1-3+C1+A1:2019/NB:2019 for snow loads
• EN 1993-1-1:2022 for steel structure member design
• EN 1090-2:2018+A1:2024 for steel structure fabrication and execution quality

Eurocode 3 is used for the design of steel buildings and civil engineering works, while the Dutch National Annexes provide the nationally determined parameters for wind and snow actions in the Netherlands. EN 1090-2:2018+A1:2024 specifies technical execution requirements for structural steelwork.

The main load-bearing structure used Q355 / S355-equivalent structural steel for columns, rafters, and major connection components. Secondary members such as purlins, girts, bracing, and auxiliary frames used Q235 / S235-equivalent steel according to the load requirements and connection positions.

All primary steel members were fabricated in the workshop before shipment. The fabrication process included CNC cutting, automatic assembly, submerged arc welding, correction, drilling, trial assembly, shot blasting, coating, marking, and container loading. This factory-prefabricated workflow helped reduce site welding, improve installation accuracy, and shorten the total erection period.

For European material compliance, hot-rolled structural steel can be referenced against EN 10025-2:2019, which covers technical delivery conditions for non-alloy structural steels.

The welding process was controlled through approved WPS and PQR procedures. Main welds were completed using gas-shielded welding and submerged arc welding depending on the member type, plate thickness, and joint configuration.

The welding quality control followed:

• EN ISO 15614-1:2017+A1:2019 for welding procedure qualification
• EN ISO 9606-1:2017 for welder qualification
• EN ISO 5817:2023, Quality Level C for general structural welds and Quality Level B for selected critical welds

EN ISO 15614-1:2017/A1:2019 covers the qualification of welding procedures for metallic materials, while EN ISO 5817:2023 defines quality levels for imperfections in fusion-welded joints.

Considering the humid industrial environment in the Netherlands, the steel members were treated with a protective coating system designed for ISO 12944 C3 high / C4 medium corrosion environment.

The anti-corrosion process included:

1. Shot blasting to Sa 2.5 according to ISO 8501-1
2. Surface roughness control before coating
3. Zinc-rich epoxy primer, approx. 75 μm DFT
4. Epoxy intermediate coating, approx. 100 μm DFT
5. Polyurethane top coating, approx. 60 μm DFT
6. Total dry film thickness: approx. 235 μm

ISO 8501-1:2007 defines rust grades and preparation grades for steel substrates, while ISO 12944-5:2019 provides guidance on protective paint systems for corrosion protection of steel structures.

During the early design stage, our engineering team communicated with the client around building span, internal clearance, vehicle circulation, roof drainage, skylight layout, anti-corrosion requirements, and local wind and snow load conditions.

Before fabrication, the client reviewed the general arrangement drawings, anchor bolt layout, steel frame model, roof and wall cladding layout, and container loading sequence. We provided BIM-assisted fabrication detailing to reduce site conflicts and improve installation efficiency.

The first batch of steel components arrived at the destination port approximately 34 days after loading. All steel members were marked according to installation sequence, helping the local construction team quickly identify columns, rafters, bracing members, purlins, and roof components.

The project was completed in July 2024. Through prefabricated steel components, optimized portal frame design, and accurate fabrication detailing, the building achieved efficient steel consumption of approximately 46.5 kg/m², while maintaining large-span space, fast erection, and reliable long-term durability.

The completed factory now provides a wide-span, flexible, and low-maintenance industrial space for production, storage, vehicle turnover, and logistics operation.