Structural Engineering

Engineered for Every Force

A modular building experiences forces that conventional structures never see: the dynamic shock of transport, the concentrated stresses of a crane lift, the multi-axis loads of stacking. Our structural engineering team has developed proprietary analysis methods that account for every load case across the module's entire lifecycle — from factory floor to 40-storey service.

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Technical Specifications

Design Parameters & Load Cases

Every MODURA module is designed and verified against all applicable Eurocodes, with five distinct load cases analysed before fabrication drawings are released.

Parameter	Standard	Specification
Design Code	EN 1990	Basis of structural design, 60-year design working life, Consequence Class CC2/CC3
Actions on Structures	EN 1991	Imposed loads 2.0–5.0 kN/m², wind to EN 1991-1-4, snow, thermal, and accidental actions
Steel Design	EN 1993	Cold-formed to EN 1993-1-3, hot-rolled to EN 1993-1-1, grades S275–S460
Composite Design	EN 1994	Steel-concrete composite floors and transfer structures, shear stud design
Seismic Design	EN 1998	Ductility Class DCM/DCH, q-factors per national annex, capacity design
Fire Design	EN 1993-1-2	Structural fire engineering, critical temperature method, up to REI 120
Execution	EN 1090-2	Execution Class EXC3, weld quality to ISO 5817 Level B, full traceability

Load Case	Load Factors	Design Condition	Governing Limit State
LC1 — Factory Lift	Dynamic factor 1.5 × SW	Module lifted from casting bed to transporter	Local buckling, web crippling at lifting points
LC2 — Transport	±0.5g horizontal, ±0.3g vertical	Road transport over 500+ km, braking and cornering	Fatigue, racking deformation, connection integrity
LC3 — Crane Erection	Dynamic factor 1.6 × SW + 0.5 kN/m² wind	Mobile or tower crane lift at up to 12m radius	Global stability, lifting frame design, sling angles
LC4 — Stacking	1.35Gk + 1.5Qk per EN 1990 Eq 6.10	Up to 12 modules stacked, temporary and permanent	Bearing, column continuity, inter-module shear transfer
LC5 — In-Service	Full ULS & SLS combinations to EN 1990	Permanent occupancy, wind, snow, seismic, thermal	All ULS verifications + SLS deflection < span/360

Finite element analysis model of a modular steel frame showing stress distribution contours under lateral loading

Analysis & Deliverables

Every Module Analysed Before Fabrication

Before any steel is cut, every module undergoes full finite element analysis (FEA) using ANSYS, Robot Structural Analysis, or Tekla Structural Designer. We model the complete module geometry — cold-formed wall studs, hot-rolled edge beams, corner posts, and diaphragm action of sheathing boards — under all five load cases simultaneously.

Our structural deliverables package provides the complete engineering narrative: from concept stability assessment through to full fabrication drawings with weld maps and bolt schedules. Every calculation is independently checked by a Chartered Structural Engineer.

FEA global model of complete building structure
Module-by-module design calculation pack to EN 1993
Connection design: module-to-module, module-to-core, hold-down
Fabrication drawings with weld specifications and NDT requirements
Erection engineering: crane studies, temporary works, propping
Independent Category 3 check by Chartered Engineer
Form 10/10A certification where required (UK Building Regs)

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Specialist Capabilities

Advanced Structural Engineering

Beyond standard modular design, our team brings deep expertise in four specialist areas that unlock taller, more complex, and more resilient modular buildings.

Cold-Formed Steel Design

Light-gauge steel framing to EN 1993-1-3 with optimised section profiles (C- and Z-sections, Sigma studs). Our in-house buckling analysis covers local, distortional, and global modes, with stud spacing and bracing optimised per module load case. Typical steel weight savings of 12–18% compared to prescriptive design through rational analysis.

Hot-Rolled Transfer Structures

For buildings above 12 storeys or with open-plan ground floors, hot-rolled steel transfer structures (UC columns, UB/ASB beams) carry modular loads to foundations. Our composite design to EN 1994 achieves column-free spans up to 12m, enabling retail, lobby, or parking at ground level with modular construction above.

Seismic Engineering

Full seismic design to EN 1998 with capacity-designed ductile connections. We use pushover analysis (N2 method) and, for taller or irregular structures, nonlinear time-history analysis (NLTHA) to verify performance. Inter-module shear connections are detailed to yield before column buckling, delivering ductile failure modes with behaviour factors q ≤ 3.0.

Progressive Collapse Resistance

Alternative load path analysis in accordance with EN 1991-1-7 and UFC 4-023-03. Each module connection is assessed for its ability to bridge over a notionally removed column or loadbearing wall. Where tying resistance alone is insufficient, we detail key element design with enhanced connection capacity to prevent disproportionate collapse.

Materials & Standards

Steel Grades & Certification

All structural steel is sourced from ISO 9001-certified mills with full material traceability and 3.1 certification to EN 10204.

Application	Grade	Standard	Min. Yield	Typical Sections
Cold-Formed Wall Studs	S350GD + Z275	EN 10346 / EN 1993-1-3	350 MPa	C100–C200 lipped channels @ 400–600mm c/c
Cold-Formed Floor Joists	S390GD + Z275	EN 10346 / EN 1993-1-3	390 MPa	C200–C300 lipped channels @ 400mm c/c
Hot-Rolled Edge Beams	S355J2	EN 10025-2	355 MPa	UB 203–356, PFC 200–300
Hot-Rolled Corner Posts	S355J2 / S460M	EN 10025-2/4	355–460 MPa	SHS 120–250 × 8–12.5mm wall
Transfer Beams & Columns	S355J2 / S460M	EN 10025-2/4	355–460 MPa	UC 254–356, SHS 250–400
Base / Holding-Down Bolts	Grade 8.8 / 10.9	EN 15048 / EN 14399	640 / 900 MPa	M20–M36, preloaded where required