Service 02 · Design
Repair engineering for steel structures and fixed plant.
Repair it, strengthen it, modify it, or replace it. Veristruct engineers the repair and documents it properly: the basis of design, the calculations, the drawings and the weld details a workshop can build from. Where you will rely on the design, it is independently reviewed and certified by a registered engineer before it is issued.
When to call
- The OEM says replace, and the budget or the lead time says repair.
- Cracking, corrosion or section loss has been found and the capacity is in question.
- You need a modification: a new load, a new attachment, relocated equipment or a changed duty.
- A past repair has no engineering or documentation behind it.
- An insurer, auditor or principal wants to see the engineering behind a repair.
How a repair is engineered
- Define the problem and the loads. Condition data, drawings, operating loads and duty. Where drawings do not exist, the as-built geometry is measured on site or 3D scanned.
- Set the basis of design. Standards, load cases, materials, assumptions and design life, recorded in one place so a reviewer can follow every step.
- Design and check. Member, connection and weld checks to AS 4100, weld categories and weld details specified for fabrication and inspection to AS/NZS 1554.1, and fatigue where the duty is cyclic.
- Document it for the workshop. Repair drawings, weld details and a weld map, a repair procedure, and an Inspection and Test Plan with hold points.
- Independent review. Veristruct prepares the full technical package and coordinates independent review and certification through registered engineering partners. Certification is priced as its own line in the quote.
Designed to be built
A repair that cannot be welded properly on site is not a repair. Veristruct's work comes from a trades-to-engineering background, so repairs are detailed with access, fit-up, distortion, preheat and welding position in mind. The workshop gets details it can execute, and the inspector gets something they can check.
Typical repairs
- Excavator booms, sticks and castings
- Dump bodies, chassis and trailer frames
- Crusher, screen and conveyor structures
- Chutes, bins, hoppers and liners
- Platforms, frames, supports and machinery bases
- Strengthening for new loads or attachments
What you receive
- Basis of design and assumptions register
- Calculation package: member, connection and weld checks
- Repair drawings, weld details and weld map
- Repair procedure and ITP
- Independent certification by a registered engineer, as a separate line item
Sometimes replacement is the right answer: extensive damage, repeated repairs at the same location, or a design flaw that a repair cannot fix. The recommendation weighs repair cost, downtime, lead time and remaining life, and says so plainly. Read how to make a defensible repair-or-replace decision.
Questions Asked
Repair engineering FAQs.
Can Veristruct certify the repair?
No. Veristruct prepares the complete technical package, and certification comes from an independent registered engineer matched to the discipline. The certification is its own line in the quote, so it is never hidden in a lump sum.
We have no drawings of the original equipment. Is that a problem?
It is common on older plant. The geometry can be measured on site or captured with 3D scanning, and the repair is designed from that.
Do you work to OEM repair procedures?
Yes. Where an OEM procedure or design intent exists, it sits alongside the standards and often governs. If the two conflict, the conflict is flagged to you for a decision rather than quietly resolved.
What about work in Queensland or Victoria?
In every state, a repair you will rely on is certified by an independent registered engineer before it is issued. Queensland, Victoria and the ACT also run registration schemes for professional engineering, so for work there that engineer is registered in that jurisdiction.
How long does a repair design take?
A technical review usually turns around in one to four business days from complete information. A full repair design package typically takes one to two weeks, plus the independent review.
Is a repair always cheaper than replacement?
No. When damage is extensive, when repairs keep failing at the same place, or when the design itself is the problem, replacement can be the better call. The recommendation says which, and why.
Related Services
Often part of the same job.
Repair Or Replace?
Get the engineering behind the decision.
Send the photos, the NDT report and any drawings you have. We will tell you what the repair involves and what it takes to document it.