UP FOR THE CHALLENGE
One of our strong suits is thinking outside the box to find a way to make things work. When presented with a problem or challenge, SFI personnel put their heads together and find a way through it. We are up for the challenge!
The photo shows a large tank being field erected inside the structural steel that will soon become an enclosed a building. This is a normal occurrence for our field personnel except that this tank is being built on top of a concrete structure 10 feet above the ground with no place for the crew to stage materials and work. The completed tanks would be 26-feet in diameter, 37-feet high, weighing over 47,000 pounds and with a capacity of 125,000 gallons.
The challenge was providing work platforms at the 10-foot level for the crew to use safely and efficiently throughout the fabrication process. One platform was needed inside the tank to provide a flat “floor” to work from and another 3-foot wide platform was erected on the outside, allowing the crew to build the tank in the normal manner, but from 10-feet above the ground. Our 7-man crew built two tanks like this at the same time with other trades working nearby to construct the new building.
A 3D model of the platform and tank was developed to ensure our plans would work before arriving on-site. The exterior platform was designed to hold the full weight of the completed tank, the jacking devices, welding equipment and personnel using the platform. The interior platform would need to support the crew and equipment. Engineering calculations were made to ensure safety in all instances, including wind and storms. The exterior platform was built in sections in our shop, then installed on-site by the crew.
An attached ladder provided personnel access to the exterior platform. Material and equipment would be lifted and staged on the platform as needed. At the time this photo was taken, 8-feet of the tank sidewall had been erected with about 33-feet more to go, straight up.
Once the tanks were complete, the platforms were removed so the building could be finished. (You can see part of the work platform’s hand rail on the left side, protruding beyond the structural steel where the building’s outside walls would eventually be installed.) It took about 9 weeks to complete the tanks.
SFI builds tanks up to 750,000 gallons. To learn more about our field fabrication capabilities, go to https://www.stainlessfab.com/field-fabricated-tanks-vessels.html .
