Refineries and their structures are in an environment that is highly susceptible to deterioration. The processes for operation are often aggressive and ongoing, leading to structure deterioration.

A coker in the Gulf Coast had signs of deterioration after years of service producing and handling petroleum coke. The owner chose to implement an Investigate-Design-Build (IDB) approach for a seamless repair process that would allow the project to be completed within budget during an upcoming turnaround.

STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES performed a condition assessment to determine the level of deterioration and the best course of action for repairs.

This was the first-of-its-kind project where ultra high-pressure (450ksi) water demolition was used to facilitate concrete removal, surface preparation, and cleaning of the reinforcing steel. Performed by STRUCTURAL, this method reduced this portion of the project from nearly 20 shifts with 20 over employees to only 6 shifts with only a few workers. This was a significant reduction in both time and safety exposure.

Following demolition of the existing concrete, the team performed concrete repairs throughout the coker structure, pit and maze.

The project was successful from all aspects and the Owner was thrilled to have less manhours as well as an accelerated project schedule. The coker was turned back over early, under original budget with zero safety incidents.