INDUSTRIES WE SERVE
Thompson Fabricating has furnished safety ladders to the construction industry since 1953 and aluminum handrail systems to water and wastewater treatment plants for more than 65 years. TF-JOVE® pipe and duct supports came out of the same shop starting in the 1970s.
The product lines stay consistent. What changes is the alloy, finish and configuration required to survive the environment.
WHY ONE PRODUCT LINE WORKS ACROSS EVERY INDUSTRY
A ladder meets the same OSHA and ANSI A14.3 requirements on a clarifier and on a cracking unit. A handrail meets the same IBC loading in a pump station and a data hall. The design requirements stay consistent; material and finish are selected for the service.
Codes Stay Consistent
OSHA 1910, ANSI A14.3, IBC and ADA apply regardless of what the facility produces.
Loads Stay Consistent
Tested structural requirements do not change because the surrounding process changes.
Material & Finish Change
Mill finish, anodize, powder coat, galvanized steel, 316L, C276 or duplex are selected against exposure.
Everything Is Built to the Job
TUF RAIL®, TUF LADDER® and TF-JOVE® systems are configured and fabricated to project requirements.
“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.” – BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
WHAT WE MAKE
The same core TFCO and TF-JOVE® product lines appear across municipal, industrial and commercial facilities.
OSHA, IBC, factory-industrial, public access and ADA configurations.
Gastight, odortight, watertight and heavy-duty aluminum access hatches.
Grating, cover plates, TUF GATE® stop gates, weirs, troughs and bar screens.
Walkways, catwalks, platforms, structural framing and auxiliary steel.
Custom-built aluminum fixed ladders with fall-protection options.
Apex® posts, fall arrest systems, self-closing gates, crossover stairs and ships ladders.
Load-rated supports, guides, anchors and riser supports for metallic and non-metallic piping.
01 / INDUSTRY
Our home market—and the environment TUF RAIL® was developed for. Constant moisture, hydrogen sulfide, chlorine and daily washdown make corrosion resistance a core design requirement.
Aluminum eliminates a coating system to maintain, while TF-JOVE® supports engineered for FRP and HDPE keep the support from becoming the weak point in piping designed to last for decades.
DESIGN FOCUS
TUF RAIL® handrail • TUF LADDER® fixed ladders • crossover stairs • TUF HATCH® access hatches • grating & cover plates • TUF GATE® stop gates • weirs • troughs • bar screens • TF-JOVE® pipe supports
02 / INDUSTRY
Chemical plants combine the most aggressive chemistry in industry with the widest material range—dual-laminate and FRP process lines, specialty alloys and atmospheres that expose weaknesses in conventional coatings.
C276, 2205 duplex and 316L are selected against the service rather than simply the initial material cost, especially where a failed support would interrupt a live process unit.
DESIGN FOCUS
TUF RAIL® handrail • TUF LADDER® fixed ladders • crossover stairs • TUF HATCH® access hatches • grating & cover plates • TUF GATE® stop gates • weirs • troughs • bar screens • TF-JOVE® pipe supports
03 / INDUSTRY
In high-temperature service, thermal movement becomes the design problem rather than weight alone. Large-diameter headers grow measurably between cold and operating conditions.
Pipe rolls, roll stands and PTFE slide plates allow movement without dragging the structure with the line. Anchors are placed deliberately and sized from thermal and pressure loads together.
DESIGN FOCUS
TUF RAIL® handrail • TUF LADDER® fixed ladders • crossover stairs • TUF HATCH® access hatches • grating & cover plates • TUF GATE® stop gates • weirs • troughs • bar screens • TF-JOVE® pipe supports
04 / INDUSTRY
Large-diameter, low-pressure FRP duct behaves differently from pressure piping. Thin walls relative to span make distortion a concern, and the duct is often carried across open ground on structural steel.
For complex odor-control systems, the scope can extend beyond supports into stress analysis, support-system design, auxiliary steel, foundation design and fabrication.
DESIGN FOCUS
TUF RAIL® handrail • TUF LADDER® fixed ladders • crossover stairs • TUF HATCH® access hatches • grating & cover plates • TUF GATE® stop gates • weirs • troughs • bar screens • TF-JOVE® pipe supports
05 / INDUSTRY
Oil and gas facilities combine carbon and alloy piping with outdoor exposure, often coastal and often at scale. On long pipe-rack and stanchion runs, the finish decision drives maintenance for the life of the asset.
Standard figure numbers, adjustable stanchions and saddle supports can be hot-dip galvanized or stainless depending on exposure—with off-standard heights and specialty alloys fabricated without adding a second vendor.
DESIGN FOCUS
TUF RAIL® handrail • TUF LADDER® fixed ladders • crossover stairs • TUF HATCH® access hatches • grating & cover plates • TUF GATE® stop gates • weirs • troughs • bar screens • TF-JOVE® pipe supports
06 / INDUSTRY
Data-center mechanical systems move chilled water at scale through dense multi-line runs, trapeze assemblies and large headers. Thermal movement matters, but so does what the hanger does to the insulation.
Insulation protection shields spread hanger load across the outside of the insulation so the vapor barrier stays intact. Access ladders and platforms in mechanical yards and roof plants follow the same OSHA and IBC requirements as our other work.
DESIGN FOCUS
TUF RAIL® handrail • TUF LADDER® fixed ladders • crossover stairs • TUF HATCH® access hatches • grating & cover plates • TUF GATE® stop gates • weirs • troughs • bar screens • TF-JOVE® pipe supports
ONE SUPPLIER, WHATEVER THE FACILITY
Handrail, ladders, hatches, grating, gates, pipe supports and structural steel can be coordinated through one manufacturer and one documentation package.
Single-Source Procurement
Access products, water-control products, TF-JOVE® supports and structural fabrication under one supplier.
Independently Verified Engineering
Calculations are supported by in-house testing and independent laboratory verification, with reports available for approval.
PE-Stamped Drawings
Certified engineering available across all 50 states.
Code Compliant by Design
OSHA 1910, ANSI A14.3, IBC and ADA requirements are built into the product systems.
In-House Fabrication
Fabrication is performed at Thompson’s Birmingham, Alabama facility.
INDUSTRIES FAQ
Answers to common specification, testing and procurement questions across the industries we serve.
What industries do you serve?
Water and wastewater, chemical, power, odor control, oil and gas, pulp and paper, manufacturing and data centers. The product line is broadly consistent; material, finish and configuration are selected against the environment.
Is the same handrail used in a treatment plant and a data center?
Yes. TUF RAIL® is designed to the loading requirements of OSHA, IBC, ADA and applicable state and local codes. The finish may change—mill, clear anodize or safety-yellow powder coat—but the structural requirements do not.
Are your products tested?
Yes. Engineering calculations are verified by in-house testing and independent laboratory testing. TUF LADDER® rungs are tested at 325 lb applied and released 200,000 times for fatigue resistance, with deflection not exceeding L/360.
When is a ladder fall-arrest system required?
Fall arrest is typically furnished for ladders exceeding 24 ft. Under OSHA 1910.28(b)(9)(i), new fixed ladders over 24 ft erected on or after November 19, 2018 require a ladder safety or personal fall-arrest system; all fixed ladders must be equipped by November 18, 2036.
Can I get the access package and the pipe supports from one supplier?
Yes. Handrail, ladders, stairs, hatches, fall protection, grating, gates and pipe supports can be coordinated through the same shop and submittal package.
Where are your products made?
Fabrication is performed at Thompson Fabricating’s facility in Birmingham, Alabama.
