Service

Retaining Walls & External Structures

Many of the structures that keep a commercial site working sit outside the main building, yet they carry real loads and must be designed and maintained accordingly. We provide focused engineering for retaining walls and the wider family of external and ancillary structures.

Many projects involve structural elements that fall outside the main building but remain critical to the successful operation of the site. Tashi Structures provides practical engineering solutions for a wide range of standalone and ancillary structures, whether delivered as part of a larger development or as individual projects requiring independent structural input.

Our services include retaining walls, reinforced earth structures, boundary walls, external staircases, fire escape stairs, access ramps, platform lift structures, plant support frames, rooftop plant installations, equipment plinths, service gantries, pipe bridges, external walkways, loading platforms, canopies, covered walkways, entrance features, security structures, cycle shelters, bin stores, smoking shelters, gate structures, vehicle barriers, balustrades, handrails, parapets, retaining features and hard landscaping structures.

We also regularly provide structural design for utility and infrastructure-related structures including substations, switch rooms, transformer bases, generator plinths, battery storage installations, telecommunications structures, service compounds, utility enclosures, attenuation tank structures, pumping stations, kiosk foundations and associated civil engineering works.

For industrial and commercial facilities, services extend to crane foundations, machinery bases, loading dock modifications, dock leveller installations, storage compounds, racking support structures, plant rooms, mezzanine support structures, external steelwork and specialist support frames for mechanical and electrical installations.

Whether supporting a developer, contractor, architect, facilities manager or property owner, Tashi Structures can provide responsive standalone engineering input for the numerous structural elements that often arise during the life of a building but may not warrant engagement of a large multidisciplinary design team. Designs are developed with buildability, durability, maintenance requirements and long-term performance in mind, with clear calculations and construction information suitable for Building Control approval, contractor pricing and construction.

Key points

Retaining walls and reinforced earth
External stairs, ramps and lift structures
Plant frames, plinths and gantries
Canopies, shelters and balustrades
Substation bases and attenuation tanks
Crane and machinery foundations

When you need this

External structures are often critical to how a site operates, even though they stand apart from the main building. They span boundary and retaining walls, access and circulation, building services and industrial equipment.

Typical needs include retaining walls, fire-escape stairs, ramps and platform lifts, plant frames, equipment plinths, canopies and shelters, utility bases such as substations and attenuation tanks, and heavy industrial supports including crane foundations, machinery bases and racking.

Frequently asked questions

Do you provide standalone engineering for individual external structures?

Yes. We are regularly appointed for discrete elements such as a retaining wall, canopy or plant frame, providing responsive standalone input without needing to be engaged on the wider building.

Which sectors do you support?

We work across commercial, industrial, education, healthcare and residential developments, tailoring the design to the demands of each setting and its operational requirements.

Can you design foundations for plant and heavy equipment?

Yes. We design plinths, frames and foundations for items such as transformers, machinery, cranes and racking, accounting for their loads, vibration and access for maintenance.

Do these external works need Building Control approval?

Many do. We design external structures to meet the relevant requirements and provide the calculations and details needed to support Building Control approval.

Do you consider maintenance and durability?

Yes. External structures are exposed and often hard to access once a site is operational, so we design with durability, buildability and future maintenance firmly in mind.