【In-depth Discussion on Modular Installation of HaiChuan】Modular Lifting of the Stable Tower in Sinopec’s Catalytic Cracking Unit
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The modular lifting of the stabilizer tower for the 4.2 million tons per year catalytic cracking unit in the Zhongke Refining project was completed on October 24. This was made possible through the careful organization and thorough coordination by the contractor from Luoyang Engineering Company, as well as close cooperation between the installation team from Shijian Company and the workers responsible for lifting large equipment. Thanks to the hard work of all the workers involved in the installation process, the stabilizer tower was successfully lifted and installed in a modular manner. The tower is 61 meters tall and 5.2 meters in diameter; after being fitted with its modular components, it weighs 430 tons. Since this tower, along with the distillation tower and the rectification tower, arrived at the site in mid-September, the modular ground assembly work of fitting these components was carried out simultaneously. As a result, there was a large volume of work to be done, limited space available, a tight schedule, and heavy demands. To equip the stabilizer tower, 21 layers of steel structural platforms were installed, weighing 50 tons in total; 19 process pipelines with a total length of over 300 meters were installed; 101 cubic meters of insulation material was used, and 1,112 square meters of cladding material was applied.
To equip the stabilizer tower, 21 layers of steel structural platforms were installed, weighing 50 tons in total; 19 process pipelines with a total length of over 300 meters were installed; 101 cubic meters of insulation material was used, and 1,112 square meters of cladding material was applied. To enable the modular construction of this tower to be completed as soon as possible, Shijian made meticulous arrangements and thorough preparations by prefabricating the 21-story steel platform, 20 sections of straight ladders, as well as various pipes in advance, so that lifting and installation of the structures attached to the tower could begin immediately once the main tower arrived. In terms of construction manpower, Shijian formed a task force consisting of 20 riveters, 20 plumbers, 5 crane operators, 6 scaffolders, and over 30 workers specialized in anti-corrosion and insulation work. To address the problem of repeated setup and dismantling of scaffolding during the construction of previous large towers, which affected installation efficiency, the scaffolders were tasked with constructing more than a dozen 6-meter-high, cross-shaped movable scaffolds that could be moved to wherever they were needed, offering flexibility, convenience, and saving time and effort. To ensure construction safety, quality, progress, and schedule, Shijian Company has also organized a management team composed of construction managers, safety officers, technical experts, quality control personnel, and supervisors to carry out on-site supervision.
Installation of the steel structure attached to the tower began in mid-September, and insulation work on the tower itself started in late September. With the assistance of three cranes and two aerial work platforms, all the workers started working at 7 a.m. every day, without taking a break at noon; they worked overtime until 9 p.m. on the key areas. Especially in those parts beneath the tower that were out of reach of the cranes, they didn’t wait or rely on others – instead, they used manual lifting, carrying on their shoulders, and winches to install and weld each component one by one, resulting in busy construction activities both above and below the tower every day. Especially at the critical moment on October 23, after the tower was lifted off its saddle, the platform structure and pipelines affected by the saddle needed to be installed urgently, and the tower body and pipelines also required insulation. Given the limited working space and the difficulty of coordinating multiple workers, Shijian once again adopted shift work, working continuously for over twenty hours to complete the modular assembly of the stabilizing tower on time. At 10:07 a.m. on the 24th, with the sound of a clear command whistle, the 2,000-ton main crane and the 500-ton auxiliary crane used in the large-scale equipment lifting project by the shipping company worked together to lift the stabilizer tower steadily. Thereafter, the main crane raised the top part of the stabilizer tower at a constant speed, while the auxiliary crane carried the base of the tower forward slowly. After about an hour, the stabilizer tower was erected; once the auxiliary crane released its grip, the 2,000-ton main crane continued to lift it alone. By 12 p.m., the stabilizer tower had been safely and successfully installed in place.
I really want to go to the site and see the installation process.