Why this checklist exists
Most industrial owners only hire a structural design consultant a handful of times in a career. Mistakes are expensive — over-conservative designs inflate steel tonnage by 15–25%, while under-engineered structures show up later as cracks, deflections, retrofit costs or worse.
This checklist consolidates the questions our team has been asked across 200+ projects in food processing, pharma, logistics, heavy industrial and automotive sectors. Print it, walk into your next consultant meeting, and ask the questions in order.
The 12 questions
- Which design codes will the consultant work to? Demand explicit reference to IS 800, IS 875, IS 1893 — and ask whether AISC, ACI, BS or Eurocode methods will be cross-checked for international clients or insurance reviews.
- Who is the named lead engineer, and what is their portfolio? Junior hand-offs are the single largest reason industrial projects drift on schedule. Insist on a named M.Tech / Chartered Engineer signing every package.
- What is the design methodology for crane loads, dynamic equipment and vibration? Static analysis alone is not enough for EOT cranes, reciprocating compressors or vibration-sensitive pharma equipment.
- How is steel tonnage optimised? Ask for a benchmark — typical Indian PEB tonnage per sq ft for a 24 m clear-span shed should sit in a narrow band. Outliers either over-design or hide assumptions.
- What is the deliverable set? GAD, detailed engineering drawings, connection design, foundation reactions, BOM and erection sequence should be itemised in writing.
- Will detailing be done in-house or sub-let? Detailing sub-contracted to unsupervised vendors is the leading cause of fabrication rework.
- Which detailing platform is used? Tekla, SDS2 and AutoCAD have different downstream impacts on fabricator productivity.
- What is the BIM coordination workflow? A coordinated 3D model resolves clashes with mechanical, piping and electrical disciplines before fabrication starts.
- What is the QA review process? Independent senior reviewer sign-off should be standard, not optional.
- How are revisions and scope changes managed? Ask for the change-order rate on the consultant's last five projects.
- What is the typical schedule for a 1,000–2,500 MT project? A capable team should commit to 8–14 weeks for full detailed engineering.
- Is there a structural integrity audit offering? A consultant who only designs new structures, with no audit muscle, will not catch hidden assumptions in your project brief.
What MEC delivers against this checklist
Megh Engineering Consultants combines design, detailing, BIM, analysis, project management and integrity assessment under one accountable engineering ownership model. Every project is led by a senior engineer, reviewed against six international code families, and tracked on a Gantt schedule the client can see.
Free download for your next RFQ: Our internal Project Engineering Brief Template — the same one we issue at the start of every engagement. Request the template and we will email it within two working days.