Who asks for a capacity assessment
- Manufacturers and suppliers who need documented capacities, or a capacity table, for a product range.
- Installers and builders asked by a building surveyor for engineering evidence that a bracket, post or connection is adequate for a specific use.
- Importers with products designed to overseas standards that need assessment against Australian Standards.
- Modular and equipment suppliers who need their support and hold-down details checked.
Calculation-based assessment, not testing
Our assessments are engineering calculations to the relevant Australian Standards: AS 4100 for steel, AS/NZS 4600 for cold-formed steel, AS 1720.1 for timber, and AS 3600 and AS 5216 for concrete and anchorage into concrete.
Where a capacity depends on test data, such as a proprietary anchor or a complex connection, we rely on the supplier's test reports from an appropriate laboratory.
MEG is not a testing laboratory. A capacity assessment is not laboratory accreditation, a CodeMark certificate or a universal product certification. It applies to the product, configuration and conditions described in it, and we say so clearly in the report.
Defining the assessment
A useful capacity assessment starts with a clear definition: which product and configuration, supported how, under which load cases, in what environment. We agree that definition with you before starting, so the result answers the question you actually have. If you need a range, such as several sizes, spans or fixing patterns, we can produce a capacity table covering it.
What can be assessed
- Brackets, cleats and support frames
- Posts, columns and their base plates
- Bolted, welded and screwed connections
- Anchorage to concrete, steel and timber substrates
- Support assemblies for equipment and building products
- Capacity tables across a defined range of sizes or configurations
What you receive
- CalculationsMember and connection checks for each defined load case.
- Technical reportThe product definition, load cases, assumptions, capacities and limits of application.
- Capacity tableWhere scoped, capacities across a defined range of configurations.
- Project letterWhere required, a letter confirming suitability for a specific project application.
What we need from you
- Fabrication or shop drawings with dimensions
- Material grades and thicknesses
- Weld, bolt, screw and anchor specifications
- Support conditions and substrate
- The intended loads or applications
- Any existing test reports
- Finish and corrosion protection, where durability matters
Don't have everything yet? Send what you have. We'll tell you what's missing and whether it affects the proposal.
How it works
- Product detailsSend what you have. We'll list anything missing.
- Define the assessmentWe agree the configuration, load cases and deliverables in the proposal.
- AssessmentWe carry out the calculations and identify the governing failure modes.
- ReportYou receive the report. If the product falls short, we explain why and what changes would help.
Who does what
MEG provides
- Calculation-based capacity assessment
- Documented assumptions and limits
- Recommendations where a product falls short
Not included, or by others
- Physical or laboratory testing
- Laboratory accreditation or CodeMark certification
- Capacities outside the defined configurations
- Product redesign — available, but scoped separately
Relevant experience
MEG's work includes light pole footing design at Pier Street, Altona, covering moment calculations, base plate design and connection documentation. See project experience.
Questions
Can you certify my product for use anywhere in Australia?
No single calculation can do that. An assessment applies to the configurations and conditions it defines. We can define those broadly enough to be useful, for example across wind regions or a range of spans, but the limits will always be stated.
Do you carry out physical testing?
No. Where testing is needed, it's done by a suitable laboratory. We can help define what to test and use the results in the assessment.
What if my product doesn't meet the required capacity?
We'll show you which element governs and suggest practical changes, such as a thicker plate, a different fixing or an extra stiffener. Redesigning the product is scoped separately.
Can you assess a product designed to overseas standards?
Yes, provided we have the geometry, material properties and fixings. We assess it against the relevant Australian Standards, which may give a different capacity from the overseas documentation.