T C Rowan repairs, strengthens, modifies and refurbishes existing steelwork, on site or in our own Banbury workshop. When a beam or column has corroded, a welded connection has failed or cracked, an existing frame has to be altered, or an agricultural or industrial building has reached the end of its protective coating, we have the trade and the standards to put it right. As a family-run fabricator with in-house design, qualified coded welders, our own workshop and our own erection team, we cover the whole job under one roof: assess the steelwork, repair or reinforce it to the engineer’s specification where structure is involved, and finish it to last. The same single line of responsibility that runs through our steel fabrication work applies to repairs, so the firm assessing the damage is the firm finishing the weld.
What we repair and refurbish
Existing steel fails or needs changing for predictable reasons: time, weather, load changes and damage. We handle the full range, in mild and stainless steel.
Structural repairs and strengthening
- Corroded or section-loss beams and columns repaired, reinforced or part-replaced
- Failed, cracked or overloaded connections, cleats, base plates and brackets
- Strengthening and stiffening of existing frames where loads have changed
- Cracked welds cut out and re-welded to the corrected detail
Modifications to existing frames
- New steel tied into an existing structure for an opening, extension or change of use
- Frames adjusted, extended or reconfigured without dismantling the whole structure
- Supports, posts and lintels added where the load path has to change
Agricultural and industrial steelwork
- Repairs to agricultural building frames, portal frames, purlins, columns and bracing
- Gates, access steel, machinery frames and plant supports repaired in place
- Industrial steelwork repairs that keep a facility running rather than shutting it down
Architectural and access steel
- Staircase, balustrade, handrail and balcony steelwork repaired or refurbished
- Corroded or damaged feature steel made good and re-coated
- Removable items brought into the workshop for a full strip, repair and finish
Any structural section sizing or reinforcement detail comes from a structural engineer’s calculation. We repair to that approved specification rather than guessing, and we flag where engineer’s input is needed before work starts.
How a steel repair works: assess first, then repair to spec
A repair done blind is a repair done twice. Every job follows the same disciplined order so the fix matches the problem and the structure stays safe.
- Survey and assessment. We inspect the steelwork in place: corrosion and section loss, weld and connection condition, distortion, and the cause behind the damage, so the repair treats the problem and not just the symptom.
- Engineer’s input where structure is involved. Where load-bearing steel is repaired, strengthened or modified, the method and any new section sizes are designed and signed off by a structural engineer. Load-bearing alterations may also need Building Control approval. We coordinate with your engineer rather than make the structural call ourselves.
- Repair or refurbishment. Our coded welders carry out the work to the approved detail, on site with mobile welding plant or back in our Banbury workshop, depending on what the steel and the location allow.
- Protection and finish. Repaired and refurbished steel is cleaned back and re-coated with primer, galvanising or paint to suit indoor or outdoor service, so the steel does not start corroding again at the repair.
On-site repairs and workshop refurbishment
Some steel cannot move and some steel is better off the wall. We do both.
For steel that is fixed in place, too large to transport, or has to stay in service, our welders travel to you for on-site welding and repair, completing the work where the steel sits and tying new steel into the existing structure through our on-site installation team. For smaller or removable items, a full workshop refurbishment is usually the better result: we strip the item back, repair the steel, re-weld connections, and re-coat it properly under cover before it goes back. Heavier structural repairs and strengthening sit alongside our structural steelwork service, so the same standards and the same team that build new frames are the ones repairing your existing one.
Standards, welding and protection
Repairs are only as good as the welds and the finish behind them. Our welding is carried out by qualified, coded welders working to BS EN 1090 execution standards, the recognised benchmark for structural steelwork in the UK, and we are CE approved and fully insured. We select the welding process (MIG, TIG or MMA) to suit the material, the joint and the conditions, with MMA favoured for structural and outdoor site repairs and TIG where a controlled weld on thinner or stainless material is needed.
Because corrosion is the most common reason steel needs repairing in the first place, we do not leave the protective finish to chance. Repaired areas are prepared and re-coated to match the service environment, so an agricultural frame, an external balustrade or an industrial support is protected against the conditions that wore it out before. For load-bearing repairs and strengthening, we work strictly to the structural engineer’s approved details, and we will tell you where Building Control sign-off is likely to be required rather than give a definitive ruling ourselves.
Why one firm for assessment, repair and finish
A repair that involves three parties (one to assess, one to weld, one to coat) is a repair with three places to go wrong and three programmes to align. Because T C Rowan carries in-house design, coded welding, our own workshop and our own erection team, the assessment, the structural coordination, the repair and the re-coat all sit with one accountable firm. For property owners, facilities managers, farmers and developers across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Northamptonshire and Warwickshire, that means one point of contact, one standard, and steel that is back in service properly rather than patched. If you have corroded, damaged or out-of-date steelwork, contact us with photos and a description for a free assessment and quote.
Frequently asked questions
Do you repair structural steel, corroded beams and damaged columns?
Yes. We repair and strengthen existing structural steelwork, including corroded beams and columns, failed or cracked connections, and damaged frames. Any structural repair or strengthening is first assessed by a structural engineer, who confirms the section sizes and the method; we then repair or reinforce to that approved specification rather than improvising dimensions ourselves.
Can you repair steel on site, or does it have to come to your workshop?
Both. Where the steel is fixed in place, too large to move, or needs to stay in service, our own coded welders travel to your site with mobile welding plant and complete the repair where it sits. Smaller items such as gates, staircases, balustrades and removable frames can be brought into our Banbury workshop for a full refurbishment and re-coat.
Do steel repairs need a structural engineer or Building Control?
It depends on the work. Cosmetic or non-structural repairs usually do not. But any repair, strengthening or modification to load-bearing steel should be designed and signed off by a structural engineer, and load-bearing alterations may need Building Control approval. We assess the steelwork, flag where engineer’s input is needed, and repair to the approved details rather than make the structural call ourselves.
Do you refurbish agricultural and industrial steel buildings?
Yes. We repair and refurbish agricultural and industrial steelwork, including portal frames, columns, purlins, gates, access steel and equipment frames. Work can be carried out on site to keep a building or facility running, with repairs welded to BS EN 1090 execution standards by qualified, coded welders and re-coated to protect against the conditions that wore the steel out.