Demolition of Fuel Storage Tanks, Galway Harbour

Prior to any hot works taking place, our operatives placed approx 300mm of water in the bottom of all tanks to eliminate the risk of sparks or molten metal igniting. Two methods of demolition were employed to demolish tanks based on the type of fuel formally stored in each tank.

The works commenced with the removal of the redundant pipe work to allow access for the crane. All pipe work was drained, flushed and vented by Topaz’s appointed contractor.

A Liebherr 934 Material Handler  which was fitted with a different type of attachment for the work it carried out, was mobilised to the site. It was fitted with a 360˚ rotating steel cutting shear to carryout the cutting of the steel pipe work and low level tank structure. It was also fitted with a scrap handling grab attachment for the loading of the scrap materials into lorries for disposal to a licensed recycling for further processing. On completion of the pipe removal part of the bund wall was then demolished to allow access for the Liebherr 954 high reach machine, crane and hoists etc.

The Liebherr 934 has been specially designed for industrial goods handling and demolition of buildings in this height range. Its high lifting capacities allow quick handling speed and the special types of attachments have been designed for different applications. The operator’s cab on machine to be used on this contract have been fitted with a hydraulic adjustment system to allow the cab to be elevated to the respective operating height.

Once the process pipe work around the base of the petrol fuel storage tanks was completed by the Liebherr 934 a Liebherr 954 high reach machine was mobilised to demolish the high level tank structures.

The Liebherr 954 high reach has been specifically designed for high rise inner city demolition contracts and is the most technologically advanced machine available to execute the works. The high reach Liebherr 954 will be fitted with a 360˚ rotating steel cutting shear that will be utilised for cold cutting localised sections of the structure.  The shear commenced cutting the top of the tank and gradually worked its way down cutting the plate in sections and letting small pieces fall to the ground, Large sections were held when cut in the jaws of the shear and lowered to the ground where they were taken to a designated area for further processing.The shear greatly reduces vibration and stress on the structure, compared to the conventional techniques used for demolition. It may be possible that there  is product trapped between the patched repairs or the double skinned floors so no hot works will be carried out on these tanks until the have been completely demolished using the steel cutting shears.

A 50 ton mobile crane was then set up in the work area to carryout the demolition of the tanks. The external gantries and walkways at roof level connecting the tanks to each other was removed. The gantry and walkway removals were carried out by demolition operatives working from a certified man riding basket suspended from the mobile crane.

Our demolition operatives used oxygen/propane cutting equipment to dismantle the steel structures prior to lifting them clear of the tanks using the crane.

Once the top of each tank had been cleared of walkways, gantries and service pipe work the demolition of the tank structure commenced. Although the tanks on the site vary in size all were  demolished/dismantled using the same sequence.

Each tank was completely dismantled prior to the commencement of the neighboring tank. The tank walls were cut into sections and loaded directly onto Lorries for removal off site to a licensed recycling facility. Mobile Elevated Working Platforms (MEWPs) were used to carryout all work at heights involved with the demolition of the side walls.

Once each tank had been reduced to a level of approximately 5m high the remainder of the tank was demolished using the Liebherr 954 with rotating steel cutting shear.

Another project Tinnelly Group were proud to deliver.