Comparison in Between Two Industrial Steel Shed of 7.5M and 12.0M Bay Spacing with EOT Crane

Industrial steel sheds are widely adopted for warehouses, workshops, and factories owing to their cost-effectiveness and ease of construction. A critical factor in the design of such structures is the choice of bay spacing, which governs structural stability, material consumption, and project economy. This study presents a comparative analysis of two shed configurations with bay spacings of 7.5 m and 12.0 m, each designed for identical overall dimensions (60 m × 49 m × 13 m). The analysis was conducted using STAAD Pro for structural steel design in accordance with IS 800:2007 (LSD), while reinforced concrete foundations were designed manually as per IS 456:2000. The loadings included dead, live, wind, seismic, and crane loads based on IS 875 and IS 1893. Results show that both shed configurations satisfy deflection criteria (Span/180, Height/200), but the 12.0 m bay exhibits nearly 2.3 times higher deflections compared to the 7.5 m bay. The total steel consumption increases by ~39% for the 12.0 m bay, primarily due to heavier gantry girders and secondary members. In contrast, civil works quantities (excavation, PCC, RCC, reinforcement) are reduced by 6–16% in the 12.0 m bay owing to fewer foundations. The overall cost analysis reveals that the 12.0 m bay is ~22% more expensive, with a unit cost of ₹7,721/m² compared to ₹6,024/m² for the 7.5 m bay. The study concludes that while 7.5 m bay spacing is more economical and stiffer, the 12.0 m bay spacing offers greater operational flexibility through wider column-free spans, making it suitable for heavy industries. The choice of bay spacing should therefore be based on project priorities—economy vs. functionality.