TANK FLOOR SURFACE PREPARATION
TANK FLOOR BLASTING
Overview
We have a passionate commitment to looking after our people and our project and to delivering to the very highest standards, on time and within budget.
Safety is at heart of everything we do, and we put the health and wellbeing of our people first, striving to implement the most efficient and environmentally friendly solutions available while reducing the impact of our activities at all times.
To maintain our commitment, we are constantly looking out for new technologies and state-of-the-art solutions that can help us supporting our clients. Research and development is essential to maintain a sustainable growth, continuously revising our business strategies to align our services in an ever-changing market.
Approach
Recognised international codes and standards require tank floor inspection to verify its integrity during out-of-service inspections, In order to achieve the correct surface preparation for inspection and lining application abrasive blasting is used.
Health hazards of conventional open abrasive blasting activities are well known: pressurised air, abrasive particles, dust and noise. When carrying out surface preparation of a tank floor, working in confined space is an added hazard.
To minimise the risk, we perform abrasive blasting operations of tank floor using a floor blaster. The abrasive is now contained between the equipment and the floor, reducing dust and noise, eliminating free abrasive particles and pressurised air lines, thus improving working conditions within the confined space while recycling the abrasive and drastically reducing the waste to landfill.
By improving the conditions inside the storage tank during blasting operations, we allow inspection activities, such as visual and drone inspection, MFL and vacuum box, to be performed simultaneously, significantly reducing asset downtime.
The floor blaster is a compact machine that can fit through a standard 600mm diameter manway, achieving coverage of 95% of the tank floor surface.
Conclusion
Carrying out abrasive blasting of tanks floor by using a floor blaster has a significant impact on the working environment, while reducing asset down time and waste, allowing for simultaneous activities.