Whether a steel construction is really needed depends heavily on the wall and ceiling system used, the structural conditions and the planned loads on the cleanroom. In other words, it depends on how and where it is built – and what is to be installed on the cleanroom.
The simplest case: Suspension from the building
If the existing building allows the cleanroom ceiling to be suspended, this is usually the most uncomplicated and cost-efficient solution.
However, this is not possible in many production halls – for example due to existing installations, pipes or overhead cranes. In this case, the cleanroom must be designed to be self-supporting.
Our solution: self-supporting systems instead of steel construction
At SCHILLING ENGINEERING, we rely on our self-supporting wall and ceiling system in such cases.
This not only saves space, time, and costs, but also offers maximum flexibility.
This allows us to build self-supporting cleanrooms up to 16 m wide—without any additional steel construction.
We can typically install the necessary equipment—such as filter fan units (FFUs), air distribution systems, and air-handling ceiling units—directly within the cleanroom.
When is a steel structure necessary?
Only in a few exceptional cases do we actually use a separate steel construction – namely when:
- the cleanroom must be self-supporting and
- the room width is over 16 m, or
- the loads on the cleanroom are too large (e.g. for control cabinets or central air conditioning units).
In all other projects, the cleanroom system can be implemented more simply, leaner and more efficiently without steel construction.
Conclusion
A steel construction for a cleanroom is not a must, but only really makes sense in certain cases.
With modern, modular and self-supporting room-in-room systems, the same functionality can usually be achieved in a much more space-saving and economical way.
Head of Sales and Product Management
SCHILLING ENGINEERING GmbH
