Steel structure works

Steel structure works has become a speciality for Chess Engineering in recent years and more particularly sign structure works. The Chess boiler shop team are highly qualified in all areas of fabrication, welding and cutting to perform a quality job in-house. A number of completed projects have included sign structures weighing from 300kg up to 20 tonnes, to those standing a few metres high to others spanning a road width of 37 metres. Typically all materials are mild steel with a galvanised finish and delivery varies from four to ten weeks.

"Chess is interested in all types of sign structure work. We've completed structures valued from $1,000 to larger and more complex jobs moving up the scale to $150,000 plus. Having the required skills and experience in-house places Chess in an extremely competitive position," says Chris Peal, Key Account Manager, Chess Engineering.

In 2011, Chess won an open tender to fabricate a large 20-tonne sign gantry that spans a road width of 37 metres in a prominent position just off the F3 Freeway near Gosford for client, Roads and Maritime Services (RMS, formerly RTA).

After an accurate and skilled manufacture, the gantry was installed in February in the early hours of a Monday morning closing the busy main road for only four minutes. "The gantry has been well received and there was little disruption to traffic flow at the installation as the design was manufactured perfectly to the client's specifications." says Chris.

Chess has worked in partnership with the RMS for 18 months and has also recently completed a further 14 conventional sign structures and footings. In the coming months, Chess will also be working on a number of other jobs including the supply of 49 sign structures varying in size from 1 to 4 tonnes. In addition, more than 90 moveable road barrier units will be manufactured and used to control traffic flows in high congestion areas during peak traffic periods.

Chess' Project Manager for RMS, Elham Haddo says, "a strong relationship with the client and a thorough understanding of their needs plus attention to detail has been the critical components in delivering on time and quality products for the client."