AI CHAT ASSISTANT
Please verify important information with our experts.
⚠️
Close Chat?
Closing the chat will erase all messages. Do you want to continue?
Acufore Modular Engineering
Loading CAESAR II & BS EN 1090 Model Package...
Modular Engineering & Fabrication

Modular Pipe Rack & Process Skid Engineering

Acufore designs, stresses, and details modular pipe racks and process skids as one continuous package, from the first stress model to the fabrication drawing that leaves the shop floor.

FEED engineering 3D plot plan for industrial plant design
The modularization imperative

Why stress-verified, fabrication-ready modules matter

Acufore stresses, details, and fabrication-qualifies modular pipe racks and process skids as a single engineering package, not a handoff between separate stress, structural, and logistics contractors. We verify nozzle and support loads before steel is cut, detail every connection to BS EN 1090 Execution Class 2, and confirm the module can actually be lifted, shipped, and landed at site.

01

Unverified module concept

Raw skid or rack layout, no stress or fabrication basis

02

Acufore stress & fabrication engineering

CAESAR II load verification & BS EN 1090 detailing

03

Fabrication-ready IFC package

Stamped stress reports, weld maps, NDT plan

04

Turnkey, site-ready module

Bolts in on the first attempt, zero site rework

Auditable Deliverables

The modular engineering execution register

Every modular pipe rack or skid engagement produces a defined, auditable deliverable set.

Deliverable Package Technical Scope Included Business & Project Benefit
Stress & Load Package CAESAR II stress runs, nozzle load reports, guide and support schedules. Confirms the module won't overload existing equipment or piping before fabrication starts.
Fabrication & Compliance Package BS EN 1090 (EXC2) execution drawings, weld maps, NDT plan, and BS EN 10204 3.1 mill certificates. Keeps the module compliant and importable without customs or site QA rejection.
Modularization & Transport Package Skid layout, lift plan, rigging study, and shipping envelope. Confirms the module can actually be moved, lifted, and installed at site.
Site Integration Package Tie-in schedule, installation sequence, and bolt-up drawings. Bolts in on the first attempt, with no field rework.
Engineering Scope

Core Engineering Capabilities

Integrated calculations and detailing across all critical disciplines.

PIPE STRESS & LOAD ENGINEERING

CAESAR II stress analysis & nozzle qualification

+
  • Thermal, weight, and occasional stress runs across the full pipe rack or skid envelope.
  • Nozzle load checks against vessel, pump, and existing tie-in allowables.
  • Guide, anchor, and spring hanger support placement.
  • Key calculations: pipe stress screening, nozzle load qualification, support and guide spacing.
STRUCTURAL SKID & PIPE RACK DESIGN

BS EN 1090 (EXC2) fabrication-ready steelwork

+
  • Skid base frame and pipe rack member sizing to Eurocode 3 / AISC 360.
  • Execution Class 2 weld procedures, weld maps, and NDT extent.
  • Bolt hole, gusset plate, and flanged connection detailing to millimetric tolerance.
  • Key calculations: member sizing, connection design, weld sizing.
MODULARIZATION & TRANSPORT ENGINEERING

Turnkey modularization from stress model to shop floor

+
  • Module envelope sizing against road, rail, or vessel transport limits.
  • Lift plan and rigging study for crane capacity and pick points.
  • Shipping frame and packing design for long-distance export.
  • Key calculations: lift point loading, transport envelope clearance.
SITE INTEGRATION & INSTALLATION ENGINEERING

Tie-in sequencing & bolt-up readiness

+
  • Installation sequence and crane pick sequencing.
  • Tie-in point verification against the existing plant, not the archived drawing, using the same approach covered in our piece on 3D point cloud modeling for brownfield revamps.
  • Bolt-up and field weld minimization drawings.
  • Key calculations: installation load cases, temporary support during erection.
Pipe Stress Engineering

CAESAR II Stress Analysis

Acufore verifies static and dynamic load cases across the entire piping envelope before steel cutting begins. We model thermal expansion, sustained weight, and seismic/wind reactions to ensure pump and vessel nozzles remain within strict allowable limits.

Static and, where relevant, dynamic stress runs across the module's full piping envelope
Nozzle load reports checked against vendor or existing equipment allowables
Guide, anchor, and spring hanger schedule tied to the fabrication drawings
A stamped stress report an EPC or owner-operator can audit, not just a pass/fail summary
CAESAR II pipe stress analysis model for modular process skid
Fabrication Compliance

BS EN 1090 Compliance: What Execution Class 2 Actually Requires

BS EN 1090 governs the execution of steel and aluminium structures across Europe and the UK, and it assigns every structure an Execution Class from 1 to 4 based on consequence of failure and how the structure is used. Most pipe racks and process skids sit in Execution Class 2, the class covering the majority of ordinary structural steelwork, but "most" isn't "all": getting the classification wrong at the start means re-qualifying welders, re-issuing NDT records, or re-certifying mill material after the fact.

Execution Class Classification Matrix
Execution Class Typical Use
EXC1 Low-consequence, static structures with minimal fatigue exposure
EXC2 Standard process steelwork: pipe racks, process skids, most plant structures
EXC3 Fatigue-critical or higher-consequence structures
EXC4 Major infrastructure with severe consequence of failure

Compliance isn't just the weld. It's the paper trail behind it: qualified welding procedures, the right NDT extent for the class, and BS EN 10204 Type 3.1 mill certificates that trace every plate and section back to a heat number. Missing any one of these is what gets a shipment held at customs or a fabrication rejected by site QA, months after the steel was cut.

Execution Class determined at the start of design, not assumed at fabrication
Qualified welding procedures and welder certification matched to that class
NDT plan sized to the class, not a flat percentage applied everywhere
BS EN 10204 Type 3.1 mill certificates traceable to heat number
Turnkey Modularization

Turnkey Engineering Delivery

This is the same single-team model covered in full on our turnkey engineering services page, applied here specifically to modular pipe racks and skids.

PHASE 01
Stress model CAESAR II load cases across the full module
PHASE 02
Fabrication BIM BS EN 1090 EXC2 detailing, weld maps, NDT plan
PHASE 03
Rigging & transport study Lift plan, pick points, shipping envelope
PHASE 04
Site installation Bolt-up sequence against verified tie-in points
Trade Corridor Execution

India-UK CETA Duty-Free Modularization Advantage

For clients fabricating modules in India for UK sites, running stress, fabrication, and logistics through one engineering team carries a commercial upside too. The India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) came into force on 15 July 2026, giving zero-duty access to the UK market for close to 99% of India's tariff lines, including large parts of engineering goods, fabricated metal products, and machinery. That duty-free access only pays off if the fabricated module actually fits: a field misfit that forces on-site rework in the UK burns the margin the trade agreement was supposed to protect. Running the stress model, the fabrication package, and the shipping envelope through one engineering team is what keeps a duty-free module duty-free in practice, not just on paper.

Modular pipe rack engineering for UK and European industrial plants
Why Acufore

Built for modules that have to fit the first time

Stress-Verified From Day One

Every module ships with a real CAESAR II stress package, not a generic sizing factor.

BS EN 1090 EXC2 Ready

Fabrication drawings and mill certificates built to clear UK/EU import and site QA on first submission.

One Team, Zero Handoff Loss

The engineers who ran the stress model detail the steel and plan the lift, not three separate contractors.

Fixed-Fee Proposals

A confidential review returns a fixed-fee proposal, not an open-ended hourly estimate.

Codes & Standards Followed

ASME B31.3
ASME B31.1
BS EN 1090
BS EN 10204
Eurocode 3
AISC 360
ISO 3834
UKCA Marking
Software
CAESAR II Tekla Structures AutoCAD Plant 3D Advance Steel STAAD.Pro
Reference

FAQ

A pipe rack is structural steel carrying piping, cable trays, and sometimes equipment between fixed points in a plant. A process skid is a self-contained, pre-assembled unit (pumps, vessels, instrumentation, and interconnecting piping) built on its own base frame, designed to be transported and installed as a single module.
A generic factor doesn't account for the specific thermal growth, weight distribution, or nozzle loads on the equipment the module actually ties into. A real stress run catches overloads on existing pumps or vessels before fabrication starts, when they're still a design change rather than a field problem.
EXC2 covers most standard process steelwork and requires qualified welding procedures, an NDT plan sized to the class, and BS EN 10204 Type 3.1 mill certificates traceable to heat number, on top of the structural design itself.
Yes, in principle, structural steel and piping components fabricated in India can move to the UK under the India-UK CETA's duty-free provisions. That advantage depends on the module being fabricated to the correct specification the first time; a field misfit that requires on-site rework in the UK erodes the savings the trade agreement was meant to protect.
Module envelopes, preliminary stress screening, and fabrication-code assumptions are typically scoped during Pre-FEED & feasibility engineering, so the detailed CAESAR II and BS EN 1090 work in FEED starts from a validated basis rather than a blank page.
Ready to move a module from concept to site?

Submit an RFQ for a modular engineering proposal

Send your general arrangement drawings, process data, or concept notes. We respond with a fixed-fee proposal and scoping call.

100% confidential. NDA executed prior to file review.

You can also email us directly at info@acufore.com