| Abstract: |
The sponge iron or Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) industry has emerged as a critical alternative to conventional blast furnace iron production, particularly in countries with limited coking coal reserves [1]. This research paper presents a comprehensive design and structural analysis of a Sponge Iron (DRI) plant using AutoCAD for architectural and layout drafting and STAAD-Pro for structural analysis of steel framed industrial structures. The study focuses on the design considerations for kiln supporting structures, cooler foundations, raw material handling sheds, and ancillary buildings that constitute a typical DRI plant. Loads such as dead load, live load, wind load, seismic load, and crane load were applied as per IS 875 (Part 1, 2, 3) and IS 1893 guidelines [2][3]. The structural members were analyzed for axial force, bending moment, shear force, and deflection, and the results were checked against permissible limits as per IS 800:2007 [4]. The AutoCAD drawings provided detailed plant layout, equipment positioning, and clearances required for operation and maintenance, while STAAD-Pro provided accurate analysis of steel and RCC members under various load combinations. Five analysis tables summarizing nodal displacements, member forces, support reactions, steel section utilization ratios, and load combination results are presented and discussed. The results indicate that the proposed structural system is safe, economical, and within serviceability limits. The integration of CAD-based layout planning with structural analysis software significantly reduces design time, minimizes errors, and improves coordination between civil, structural, and process engineering disciplines. The paper concludes that a combined AutoCAD–STAAD-Pro workflow is highly effective for the design of industrial DRI plants and can be extended to other heavy industrial facilities. |
