Southern Steel Engineers provided connection and miscellaneous steel design services for a new LG Chem manufacturing facility in Clarksville, Tennessee. The large-scale plant was built to produce cathode material for electric vehicle (EV) batteries, a critical component in the growing clean energy sector.

Connection Scope
SSE’s connection engineering encompassed a wide range of structural elements, including heavy wide-flange vertical bracing, column splices, hollow structural section (HSS) connections, and a variety of moment, axial, and horizontal bracing members. The project also involved complex web-to-horizontal strut connections and high-risk structural integrity shear connections.

To meet both loading requirements and fabricator preferences, SSE employed several different brace-to-gusset solutions, including flange plates, claw angles, and complete joint penetration (CJP) welded connections. An important design consideration was avoiding bolting through steel sections thicker than 2 inches, a frequent material condition on this project, in order to streamline fabrication and ensure efficiency.

Miscellaneous Steel Scope
The project included the design of extensive access and safety features across the facility. Our scope covered eleven multi-level access stairs, some rising to 140 feet for roof access, along with two exterior platform stairs, four roof access ladders, multiple exterior crossover stairs, pit ladders, mezzanine guardrails, interior brace barrier rails, and monumental stair cable rails.
Several stair systems required adjustments to landing elevations and member sizes to maintain proper headroom clearance. Throughout the project, SSE coordinated with the client to accommodate evolving preferences, including changes to the connection type for guardrail systems.