Portal frame sheds · Warehouses · Agricultural & industrial frames
Foundations & Civil Works for Steel Frame Buildings
A steel or portal frame goes up quickly, but only if the bases are in the right place at the right level. Pad positions, holding-down bolt centres and base levels come from the frame supplier's setting-out drawing and have very little tolerance.
Rayco Civils sets out, excavates, reinforces and casts pad bases and ground beams for steel and portal frame buildings across Ireland, and places the floor slab once the frame is erected.
What we deliver
How we approach steel & portal frame buildings projects
Setting out tolerance is the whole job
Bolt positions are set from a template rather than measured individually, and levels are surveyed before and after the pour, because a base out of position stops the frame erection entirely.
Slab after frame, in most cases
On many frame buildings the slab is placed after erection so it is not damaged by the crane and the steel gang. The sequence is agreed early because it affects drainage and duct installation timing.
Loading dictates the slab specification
Racking legs, forklifts and stored material apply point loads. Slab thickness, reinforcement and joint layout come from the engineer's design for that loading, not from a standard detail.
FAQs
Do you set out from the steel supplier's drawings?+
Yes. Pad centres, bolt positions and base levels are taken from the frame supplier's setting-out drawing and checked against the engineer's foundation detail before casting.
Do you install holding-down bolts?+
Yes — bolt boxes and templates are set and levelled as part of the base pour, so the frame can be erected without adjustment on site.
Is the floor slab poured before or after the frame?+
Usually after, so the slab is not damaged during erection, though it depends on the building and the programme. We agree the sequence with the frame contractor before starting.
Arrange a Site Visit
Send drawings or arrange a site visit and we'll price your civil works package.