Elevated Helidecks (Steel Structure)
Elevated helideck construction covers the steel support structure, deck plating in steel or aluminium, connections, foundations, perimeter safety netting and access stairs. Design uses helicopter loads, with wind and seismic per SBC 301 and deck geometry per ICAO Annex 14 Volume II. Fabrication follows AISC 360 and AWS D1.1, with mill certificates, weld and NDT records at handover.
An elevated helideck is a landing platform carried on a steel structure above ground, above a building or beside a plant. It is chosen where a ground-level pad does not fit the site, or where the helicopter must land at the level of the facility it serves. NLS Contractors prices it as a works package: foundations, steel supply, fabrication, protection, erection, decking, safety netting, stairs and handover documents.
The design basis starts with the helicopter. Design loads for landing and for the parked aircraft come from the design helicopter the owner names, and wind and seismic actions are taken from SBC 301. Deck geometry follows ICAO Annex 14 Volume II, and CAP 437 where the specification cites it. The deck itself is plated in steel or in aluminium, depending on the specification, with a non-slip finish, drainage and a perimeter safety net.
Fabrication follows recognised steel codes. AISC 360 governs the member and connection design, and AWS D1.1 governs welding, with welder and procedure qualifications on record. Corrosion protection is a major cost line and a durability point: ISO 12944 paint systems are chosen by corrosivity category, and coastal sites such as Jeddah, Dammam and Khobar push the category up, or the specification calls for hot-dip galvanising to ISO 1461. Steel sections and plate can be sourced through NLS Industries (nlsindustries.com) and priced in the same offer.
Foundations carry the loads into the ground, whether as pad footings, piles or a connection into an existing structure. Erection is crane work, and the offer states the crane and access assumptions because they drive the programme. Access stairs, handrails and the safety net follow the drawings.
The lighting, power and firefighting provisions of the deck are covered by their own works packages, and aviation lighting supply sits with Northlane Solutions. GACA approval belongs to the owner through the consultant, and this package supplies the construction documents behind it.
Handover includes shop drawings, mill certificates, weld and NDT records, coating records and as-built drawings. To price an elevated helideck, send the IFC structural drawings, the heliport specification clauses, the design helicopter and the BOQ. Price and lead time depend on tonnage, protection system and site access, and the offer states both.
Specifications
- ✓Steel support structure, connections and foundations; deck plating in steel or aluminium
- ✓Design loads from the owner's design helicopter; wind and seismic per SBC 301
- ✓Deck geometry per ICAO Annex 14 Volume II, and CAP 437 where the specification cites it
- ✓Fabrication to AISC 360 and AWS D1.1; protection by ISO 12944 paint systems or hot-dip galvanising to ISO 1461
- ✓Perimeter safety netting and access stairs
- ✓Handover: shop drawings, mill certificates, weld and NDT records, coating records, as-builts
Frequently Asked Questions
When is an elevated helideck chosen over a ground-level pad?+
When site levels, obstacles or the facility layout rule out a ground pad, or when the helicopter must land at the level of the building or plant it serves. The owner and the consultant make that choice.
Steel or aluminium deck plating: which is used?+
Whichever the specification names. Steel is common for onshore decks; aluminium is lighter and resists corrosion. The offer prices the specified material and notes the supporting structure it implies.
How does a coastal site change the steel protection?+
Salt air raises the ISO 12944 corrosivity category, which means a thicker or more layered paint system, or hot-dip galvanising. The category is set in the specification and the offer prices the system it names.
What fabrication records are handed over?+
Mill certificates for the steel, weld maps and NDT records, coating thickness records and as-built drawings, so the consultant can confirm the deck matches the approved design.
Who supplies Elevated Helidecks (Steel Structure) in Saudi Arabia?+
NLS Contractors (Northlane Solutions Company) supplies Elevated Helidecks (Steel Structure) across Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Jubail. Send your specification and quantities to info@nlscontractors.com or info@northlanesolution.com for a quotation.