Structural Steel Design Services

From pipe racks and industrial platforms to connection design and fabrication-ready documentation — led by a licensed PE with 20+ years of structural steel experience.

Square Engineering provides structural steel design services for industrial, commercial, and residential projects across Amarillo, TX and the Texas Panhandle, covering large-scale systems including pipe racks and industrial frameworks, mid-scale structures such as elevated platforms and mezzanines, and smaller components including pipe supports and miscellaneous steel. Every engagement is led personally by Shannon Schneider, P.E., a licensed professional engineer with over 20 years of structural steel experience at petrochemical plants, refineries, power generation facilities, and industrial infrastructure throughout West Texas.

Every steel design engagement at Square Engineering begins with a complete load evaluation, gravity loads, wind loads, seismic requirements where applicable, and any dynamic or process loads specific to the facility type. Member sizing and connection design are developed to ensure every element in the system performs reliably under all anticipated conditions, in full compliance with AISC (American Institute of Steel Construction) standards, ASCE 7, and the applicable building code. Clear load paths, efficient framing layouts, and constructible details are the baseline, not the goal.

Square Engineering produces complete, fabrication-ready structural steel documentation, drawings, details, connection schedules, and specifications that can be handed directly to your fabricator without interpretation gaps. Working in AutoCAD for drafting and RISA-3D and RISA Connection for member sizing, analysis, and connection design, We coordinate directly with architects, GCs, and fabricators throughout the design process to ensure the structural documentation integrates cleanly with the broader project.

Construction-phase support is a standard part of every Square Engineering steel engagement, not a separate service. Shannon Schneider, P.E. personally reviews shop drawings, responds to RFIs, and coordinates with fabricators and field teams throughout construction to ensure the completed structure matches the design intent. For industrial projects where schedule pressure is real and field changes are expensive, having the engineer of record directly reachable is not a luxury. One additional differentiator worth noting: Square Engineering handles connection detailing in-house.

Many structural engineering firms avoid this scope, it is time-intensive and technically demanding, particularly for industrial steel connections under complex load combinations. Shannon takes it on directly, which means clients receive a complete structural steel package rather than a design that stops at member sizing and leaves connection detailing to the fabricator.

Whether for new construction, structural modifications, equipment additions, or facility retrofits, Square Engineering’s structural steel services are practical, code-compliant, and coordinated well before the first piece of steel is ordered.

In Simple Terms: Structural steel design means every beam, column, and connection is sized and detailed to carry the loads your structure will see, safely, efficiently, and for the life of the building. At Square Engineering, a licensed PE who has engineered industrial steel for 20+ years is the person doing that work on your project.

Structural Steel Design for Industrial, Commercial, and Infrastructure Projects.

Square Engineering's structural steel experience covers the full range of industrial project types common to the Texas Panhandle and surrounding West Texas markets, with particular depth in the high-load, high-consequence environments where structural steel performance is most critical.

Petrochemical Pipe Racks & Supports

Pipe rack design for petrochemical plants and refineries requires an understanding of process pipe loads, thermal expansion forces, dynamic conditions from operational vibration, and seismic requirements where applicable. Square Engineering designs pipe rack systems from preliminary layout through fabrication-ready documentation, coordinating with process and piping disciplines to ensure the structural system integrates with the facility design.

Worker in safety vest on an elevated industrial steel platform

Elevated Platforms & Access Structures

Industrial elevated platforms, equipment access decks, maintenance platforms, conveyor walkways, and operating floors, carry a combination of live loads, equipment loads, and dynamic forces that require careful analysis. Square Engineering designs elevated steel platforms for safe, efficient access under real operating conditions, with attention to deflection limits, connection details, and long-term durability in industrial environments.

Mezzanines & Intermediate Floor Systems

Structural steel mezzanines for warehouses, manufacturing facilities, and industrial buildings require analysis of both the mezzanine structure itself and the existing building frame supporting it. Square Engineering designs mezzanine systems that meet code requirements for live load, fire protection clearances, and connection to the existing structural frame, with documentation appropriate for permit submission and fabricator use.

Agricultural & Storage Structures

Grain elevator support structures, conveyor towers, and agricultural storage facility steel involve load conditions, bulk material pressures, impact loads, and dynamic fill cycles, that differ significantly from standard commercial structural steel design. Square Engineering brings specific experience with agricultural structural steel to these projects.

Hand sketching structural details on paper (existing steel analysis)

Existing Steel Analysis & Historical Code Checks

Square Engineering performs structural analysis of existing steel structures, reviewing original design intent against historical code requirements and evaluating against current code to determine adequacy. This is particularly valuable for pre-2005 industrial facilities where equipment loads have changed, or where ownership transfers trigger a formal code compliance review. Many firms won't touch existing structure analysis; Square Engineering does.

Commercial light industrial steel building frame

Commercial & Light Industrial Steel Framing

For commercial building projects, tenant improvements, and light industrial facilities, Square Engineering provides structural steel design that integrates with architectural requirements and code requirements for occupancy, wind, and seismic loading in the Texas Panhandle region.

What Square Engineering Delivers on a Steel Design Engagement

3D wireframe illustration of a steel building frame

Structural Steel Drawing Set

Complete fabrication-ready drawings including plans, elevations, sections, and connection details, produced to fabricator and contractor standards.

Structural Calculations

Full load calculations, member sizing, and connection design calculations sealed by Shannon Schneider, P.E.

Connection Details & Schedules

Detailed connection designs for all structural steel connections, including bolt schedules, weld specifications, and base plate designs.

Note: Square Engineering handles connection detailing in-house, many firms do not. Clients receive a complete package without having to source a separate connection engineer.

Material Schedule

Complete bill of materials derived from the structural design, supporting procurement and fabricator estimating.

Code Compliance Documentation

Design in accordance with AISC, ASCE 7, IBC, and applicable local amendments, documentation suitable for permit submission.

Construction-Phase Support

Shop drawing reviews, RFI responses, and field coordination during construction. Included as a standard part of every engagement.

STEP File Export

Structural designs are deliverable in STEP file format, compatible with virtually any fabrication or engineering software platform.

Need Structural Steel Design for an Industrial or Commercial Project?

Shannon Schneider, P.E. personally leads every steel design engagement at Square Engineering, from load calculations through fabrication-ready drawings and construction support. Contact us for a free consultation.

Structural Steel Engineering Backed by 20 Years of Industrial Experience

Square Engineering brings the analysis depth, fabrication-ready documentation, and construction-phase responsiveness that industrial and commercial steel projects demand, delivered personally by a licensed PE every time.

Shannon Schneider, P.E. personally runs every steel design calculation, sizes every member, and stamps every drawing that leaves Square Engineering. The engineer whose name is on the stamp is the engineer who did the work.

Our structural steel drawings are produced to be used directly by fabricators, not handed off to a CAD drafter for redraw. Clear connection details, complete material schedules, and coordinated documentation reduce fabrication errors and RFIs.

Shannon remains directly available for shop drawing reviews, RFI responses, and field coordination throughout construction. For industrial projects where schedule matters, having the engineer of record reachable, not buried behind an account manager, makes a real difference.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Square Engineering provide shop drawing review for structural steel?

Yes. Square Engineering provides shop drawing reviews, RFI responses, and field coordination during construction as a standard part of every steel engagement — not a separate service. Shannon Schneider, P.E. personally reviews every shop drawing submission.

Does Square Engineering design pipe racks and pipe supports?

Yes. Pipe rack and pipe support design is a core part of Square Engineering's structural steel practice. Shannon has designed pipe rack systems for petrochemical clients including Chevron and Phillips 66, covering everything from preliminary load evaluation through fabrication-ready documentation.

Does Square Engineering handle connection detailing?

Yes — and this is worth noting because many structural engineering firms decline connection detailing. It is time-intensive and technically demanding, particularly for industrial steel connections under complex load combinations. Square Engineering handles connection detailing in-house, which means clients receive a complete structural steel package rather than a design that stops at member sizing.

Does Square Engineering analyze existing steel structures?

Yes. Square Engineering performs structural analysis of existing steel structures — reviewing original design intent against historical code requirements and evaluating against current code to determine adequacy. This is particularly valuable for pre-2005 industrial facilities where equipment loads have changed or where a code compliance review is required. Many firms won't take on existing structure analysis; Square Engineering does.

What codes and standards does Square Engineering follow for steel design?

Square Engineering's structural steel designs comply with AISC (American Institute of Steel Construction) standards, ASCE 7, and the International Building Code, along with any project-specific standards required by the client or jurisdiction. Shannon is an AISC member.

What software does Square Engineering use for structural steel design?

Square Engineering uses AutoCAD for drafting and RISA-3D and RISA Connection for structural analysis and connection design. Deliverables are provided in formats compatible with fabrication software including STEP file export, making them usable with virtually any fabrication platform.

What types of structural steel projects does Square Engineering handle?

Square Engineering handles the full range — pipe racks, elevated platforms, mezzanines, pipe supports, monorail and crane rail systems, building frames, handrail systems, stair systems, existing steel analysis, fiberglass structural design (for specialized industrial applications such as cooling tower platforms), and fire-resistant steel/composite structures. Most of Shannon's steel work is industrial.

Why is professional engineering oversight important for structural steel design?

Structural steel failures in industrial environments can be catastrophic and costly. A licensed PE takes legal responsibility for the structural design and ensures every connection, member, and system is engineered to perform safely under all anticipated conditions — including process loads, dynamic equipment, and wind events specific to the Texas Panhandle. Shannon Schneider's TX PE number is 108588.