Structural Steel Site Logistics: Factories & Factory Solutions in Greece

Transporting oversized steel structural members (exceeding standard dimensions of 16.5m length, 2.55m width, or 40t gross weight) requires an official Special Heavy Transport Permit issued by the Hellenic Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport in coordination with the Hellenic Police. The application requires detailed route surveys, axle load distribution calculations, and approved timing windows (frequently restricted to night-time travel on major arteries like the Egnatia and Olympia Odos highways). Our team handles the entire permit application process and provides certified police and private pilot escort vehicles.

For island sites with shallow berths or restricted port access (such as the Cyclades or Dodecanese), we utilize specialized Ro-Ro shallow-draft barges fitted with heavy-duty rubber flotation airbags and deck-mounted knuckle-boom cranes (range 5t to 70t). Steel components are loaded directly onto specialized trailers or flat-rack containers at mainland ports (Piraeus, Lavrio, or Volos) and rolled directly off onto island quay sides or temporary beach landing heads, bypassing the need for fixed land-based port cranes.

Maritime transport exposes bare or primed structural steel to harsh saline environments. We utilize multi-layer protection protocols compliant with ISO 12944 industrial coating guidelines. This includes applying Volatile Corrosion Inhibitor (VCI) shrink-wrapping, using closed DNV-certified container units for sensitive connection hardware, securing beams on cushioned hardwood dunnage, and conducting pre-loading inspections to ensure paint systems are not scratched or compromised prior to ocean transit.

Structural steel imports from non-EU origins must clear Hellenic Customs under European Union TARIC classification (typically under HS Headings 7308). Importers must provide a valid Certificate of Origin, Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Mill Test Certificates (MTC EN 10204 3.1), and CE Marking documentation confirming compliance with EN 1090-1 execution standards. Our licensed in-house customs brokers expedite clearance at Piraeus and Thessaloniki, managing duty settlement, T1 transit declarations, and deferred VAT protocols for qualified industrial importers.

Yes. Urban job sites in Athens and Thessaloniki typically lack on-site storage space. We operate off-site consolidation yards located in strategic industrial zones outside municipal boundaries (such as Inofyta for Attica and Sindos for Thessaloniki). Steel members are buffered in these yards and dispatched to the construction site in small, synchronized truckloads mapped precisely to the erector's hourly hoisting schedule, eliminating site vehicle staging queues.

For off-grid sites—such as solar installations, wind farms, or coastal marine infrastructure—we deploy self-contained mobile handling equipment. This includes self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs), self-loading hydraulic crane trucks, deck-mounted marine knuckle boom cranes (up to 70t capacity), and heavy-duty pneumatic rubber airbags capable of transferring massive steel assemblies across unpaved terrain without requiring pre-installed concrete pads.