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Erection procedure of Storage tanks by

hydraulic jack method
a) Erection Plan :-

The erection plan should be developed with full knowledge of site condition, hoisting
equipment availability and delivery schedules. Considerable thought should be
given to the location of the shell for convenient and economical erection.

b) Establishing Orientations :-

Before starting any work, orientation of tank pad and location of the fittings on the
tank should be established.

c) Unloading steel for convenient erection :-

Planning the best location for unloading steel can save many hours of erection time.
The plan must consider the orientation of the bottom plate.

d) Inspection of Foundation :-

After establishing the orientations, carefully inspect the foundation. A bad

foundation can cause costly and undesirable problems during tank construction.
Check the compactness of soil on the basis of test report. Slope of the foundation
should be checked at minimum eight positions and ensure that it is uniform. Ring
walls, concrete slabs, retaining walls/ granular berms should be checked by tape
measurement to assure that they are within radial tolerances.

e) Location Centre :-

It is necessary to determine the center of the foundation before the bottom plate
can be laid. The center can be located in the following manner:-

1. Measure the diameter of the base in four places.

2. Take one-half the average diameter for the radius.

3. Hold one end of the tape on a point on the outer edge of the grade and
scribe an arc across the center of the grade.
4. Repeat step 3 at three other points on the outer edge of the grade,
approximately 90o apart.
5. Drive a center stake at the point where the four arcs cross.
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6. After the center has been located, measure radius all around to confirm
that the base is large enough for the tank and that the center is correctly
located.

ERECTION OF BOTTOM PLATE AND WELDING SEQUENCE

 Mark the plates as per drawing
 Carryout cutting operation after proper inspection
 All the cutting operation shall be carried out by gas cutting
 Grind the cut edges smooth to remove burrs and slag
 Proper surface preparation to be done for underneath of bottom
plate.
 Zinc phosphate primer shall be applied and allow it to dry for overnight
 Coal tar epoxy of two coats shall be applied for underneath of bottom
plate. 12 hours gap shall be maintained between coat to coat
 Stack the plates at designated place in the fabrication yard in proper
sequence
 Lay the center plate on the foundation top as per drawing
 While laying it should ensure that three plate joint to joint distances
minimum 300mm shall be maintained.
 With co-ordination of center plate lay the bottom plates sequentially
as per drawing
 Laps shall be maintained while the fit-up of short seam and long seam
as per drawing
 Temporary tack weld to be carryout on the long seam to avoid
uneven movements, while the fit-up and welding of short-seam
 Joggling shall be carried out by hammering at three plate joint
location before welding
 Short seam welding will be carried out alternatively to avoid distortion
 After the completion of short-seam welding, remove the temporary
tacks on the long seam by grinding to facilitate the long seam fit-up
 Laps shall be maintained while the fit-up of long seam as per
approved drawing
 Before starting the welding, channels, shall be tacked along the long
seam to avoid distortion
 After completion of short seam welding long seam welding will be
carried out alternatively to avoid distortion
 Qualified welder shall be engaged and welding shall be carryout as
per approved WPS
 After completion of welding thoroughly clean the weld joint by wire
brushing and grinding
 Joggling shall be carried out for 150mm from outside by hammering
where shell plate is going to be site
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TESTING OF BOTTOM PLATE

After welding the required portion of bottom plate, vacuum test as per IS 803 Fig 24
and clause No. 12. will be done to check the leakage in the welding joint. This test
will be done upto the full satisfaction of the customer or end user.
SHELL ERECTION / WELDING SEQUENCE

 After the completion of welding of bottom plates, mark the tank inner
radius on the bottom plate
 Fix 25 nos of erection stools at the equal interval on the bottom plates
and transfer the inside tank diameter on the stools.
 Sixth course of shell shall be erected by conventional method
 Balance shell courses 1to 4 shall be erected by hydraulic jack method.
 The rolled shell plates for 5th course shall be shifted to the tank
foundation area stacked around the periphery by using hydra
 Proper care shall be taken while handling the rolled plates
 Care shall be taken that the shell plate erected to the diameter
marked on the bottom plate
 Jigs and fixtures shall be used to align the shell plates
 Complete the fit up except the final joint which shall be fitted and
weld after completion of the welding of other joints(to avoid the
shrinkage)
 Peaking to be checked after the fit-up of the vertical joints. Peaking
shall be within the tolerance as per IS 803
 Peaking shall be checked at top, middle and bottom of the vertical joints
using a template of 1mtr long
 Plumbness shall be checked for the verticality of the shell course at every 60
degrees and shall be within the tolerance(tolerance 1/200 of the total shell
height)
 For perfect verticality, channels shall be provided at the regular interval inside
of the shell course(3 to 5 mtrs)
 Tack welds of the fitted vertical joints shall be ground smooth
 Offer for inspection and get clearance from customer engineer for the
vertical fitup
 Complete the either inside/outside welding for vertical joints by using
qualified welders
 Care shall be taken while welding to avoid peaking and the roundness
distortion
 After completion of one side welding of vertical joints, back chip shall be
carried out for sound metal from other side of the weld by grinding
 Back chipped grooves shall be offer for inspection before starting the
welding.
 Complete the opposite side welding using qualified welders
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 Joint numbers and welder number shall be marked on both side of the weld
joint
 Care shall be taken while welding to avoid peaking and the roundness
distortion
 Clean weld joints from both sides by wire brushing and grinding
 After completion of welding from both sides for vertical joints of 5th shell
course, remove all the temporary jigs and fixtures and flush grind the tacks(do
the weld fill up wherever required) and the portion check by DP test
 Check the peaking, plumbness, circumference and the radius, offer for
inspection to the satisfaction of customer
 Erect sixth shell course plate on top of erected 5th course of shell plate, 3mm
thk spacers shll be kept between first and last but one shell course plates to
maintain horizontal seam gap.
 Erection channels shall be fixed between 5th and 6rh shell course at regular
intervals to align and hold the last shell in vertical position.
 After all the shell plates for sixth shell course is erected, fitup the vertical joint
using jig plates which has been fixed during erection and tack weld the joints.
 Check peaking as mentioned above
 Complete welding of sixth course vertical seam inside after getting clearance
 Back chip and welding shall be carried out following as same as done for fifth
shell couse
 After completion of welding , checking shall be done as mentioned above
 Fit up the horizontal seam between fifth and sixth shell course and tack weld
remove the spacers provided during erection, tack weld shall be ground
smooth and ensure that the tacks are sound and there are no defects like
cracks and poracities etc
 Check peaking at vertical joints as above and check banding at horizontal
joints using vertical sweep board of 1 mtr. 12mm allowed
 Welding shall be done for horizontal seam between 5th and sixth shell course.
While welding care shall be taken for bending and the roundness
 Back chip shall be carried out by grinding for the sound metal for horizontal
joint
 Complete opposite side welding and clean the joint thoroughly from both
sides by grinding and wire brushing
 Check bending and plumbness
 Mark RT spots as per IS 803 and if any repair occurs repair spot shall be
repaired by grinding and rewelding.
 Take the repair spot RT and reoffer for the inspection
 Spiral staircase erection shall be carried out as per drawing including
brackets at this stage
 Remove all the temporary cleats and tacks by grinding
 Install jacks as per requirement and the distance between the jacks shall not
be more than 3.5mtr. Connect power pack and check the total system is
ready for erection of shell
 Install the jacking cleats on the bottom shell course(inside) and weld soundly
the cleats to shell.
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 Roof structure and roof shall be erected then start jacking at this stage.
Erection shall be followed as mentioned under heading of “ERECTION OF
ROOF AND WELDING SEQUENCE”.
 After roof structure, roof and nozzles on roof erection, nozzle opening shall be
made in 6th shell courses as per approved drawing and as mentioned under
heading of “APPARTENANCES INSTALLATION”.
 Erect RF pads and prefabricated nozzles on these courses as per drawing.
 Applicable NDT shall be done and to be taken clearance from customer.
 Start jacking of the assembly of 5th and 6th shell courses.
 Lift shell to the required space for the lower shell course plate width + erection
chair height
 Erect the fourth shell course by using hydra and shifting and position the
plates
 Alignment and fit up shall be carried out by using jigs and fixture as
mentioned above
 Checking to be done as explained above
 After completion of the welding lower down the jacked up assembly on top
of 4th shell from top and 3mm thck spacer shall be kept between 4th and 5th
shell from top to maintain the horizontal gap
 Fitup the horizontal joint between 4th and 5th shell courses.
 Checking to be done as explained above
 Welding shall be done as explained for other courses
 Portion of the spiral stairway shall be erected
 RT shall be carried out and cleared before next lifting
 After clearance from inspection, jacking cleats shall be fitted to 4th shell from
top course plates and total assembly shall be jacked up by required height
for erection of the 3rd shell course
 After completion of 3rd shell course erection and welding of vertical joints and
horizontal joint between 3rd and 4th shell course, erect Wind girder on 3rd
course as per GA drawing.
 In the same manner explained above erect other shell courses i.e, 2nd and 1st
courses and spiral stairway
 After completion of welding of vertical seams of 1st shell course by following
above mentioned process, shell to bottom plate fitup shall be carried out
using jigs and fixture
 After getting fit up clearance for welding root weld shall be carried out from
inside.
 Chalk kerosene test shall be carried out at this stage
 Compete welding shall be done from outside and visual checking to be
carryout
 At this stage nozzle openings on bottom shell course shall be done.
Prefabricated nozzles erection, welding and applicable NDT shall be
completed as per approved drawings and as mentioned under heading of
“APPURTENANCES INSTALLATION”
 At this stage Anchor chair shall be erected as per approved drawing.
Welding shall be done by qualified welder.
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 On completion of welding and having completed all erection and welding

work on the tank inside related to the roof and roof structure, unwanted
material and scrap shall be removed from inside of the tank.
 RT shall be completed in all respects as per IS 803

ERECTION OF ROOF / WELDING SEQUENCE

 After completion of 5th and 6th shell courses erection, fitup, welding and curb
angle fitup and welding shall be done
 Erect the fabricated center drum, roof truss as per drawing.
 Complete the welding of roof structure by approved welders and as per
approved WPS
 Erect and lay the roof plates on the structure as per drawing
 While fitup of the short seam and long seams lap to be maintained as per
drawing
 Weld the short seams by welding alternative joint or sequence mentioned in
the bottom plate preparation to prevents distortion
 Provide proper support lengthwise of the long seam and weld the joints to
avoid distortion
 Welding of roof plate to curb angle shall be carried out at this stage.
 After completion of roof to curb angle welding, Openings of nozzles in roof
shall be done as per drawing. Before opening, clearance shall be taken from
customer.
 Erect prefabricated nozzles on roof and complete welding. Applicable NDT
shall be done for nozzles.
 Erect hand railing on top of roof as per drawing and complete welding.

TESTING OF ROOF PLATES

After welding the roof plates, the roof of tank designed for gastight to testing as per
Clause No. 12.3.1 and 12.3.2 of IS 803. It will ensure the leakage in weld joints.

Appurtenances installation

 Flanges to pipe joint shall be prefabricated and required NDT shall be

completed before erection
 Mark nozzle location as per drawings. Cut the opening by gas cutting after
proper inspection
 Erect the nozzles as per the orientation and the elevation shown in drawing
 Install RF pads wherever required before nozzle erection
 Suitable jigs and fixtures shall be provided to prevent the distortion during the
welding
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 After completion of bottom shell course welding shell nozzles shall be marked
as per drawing and offer for inspection
 Cut the nozzle opening, install the RF pads and erect the nozzles( pre
fabricated) as per drawing
 Orientation, elevation & projection shall be maintained as per drawing and
offer for clearance.
 Welding shall be as per WPS and to be welded by the qualified welder
 Manhole neck shall be fabricated and the longitudinal joint shall be radio
graphed
 All the RF pad weld shall be pneumatically tested at a pressure of
1.05kg/cm2.
 All the nozzles final weld from both sides and RF pads welds shall be inspected
by visually and by LPT.
 On completion of all above works, inside cleaning of tank must be done
before water filling for hydro test
 Pad plates for firefighting pipe supports to be welded at respective location
on shell before lifting.
 Nozzle supports shall be welded at respective location on shell as per
drawing.
 Insulation cleats shall be welded on bottom shell course before hydro test.

FINAL TESTING OF THE TANK

Note : Before filling with water for hydro test, following marking to be done :

Fix a level of the tank and shift it to the nearest point to the same. Leveling
will be shifted along the tank at eight locations to check the settlement of the
tank while hydro-testing. Water filling will be done in every one meter height.
After every one meter the level to be checked by correspondence level at
every eight locations marked on the foundation and plums checking to see
the verticality of the tank. The same method will be adopted for release the
water and opening roof manholes. Ensure while emptying the tank, vent and
roof manholes shall be in open condition. Before hydro-testing all nozzles,
openings to be closed except one nozzle to be attached with isolation valve
and nipple

Painting sequence of tank

Equipment

 All equipment (compressor, sand pots and paint pumps etc) shall be in good
operating condition and of sufficient capacity to provide satisfactory results
for cleaning and painting.
 Spray equipment and tip size shall be used as recommended in the paint
manufacturer’s instructions
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 Compressed air for blasting and painting shall be free from detrimental
amounts of water or oil.
 Adequate lighting shall be provided inside the tank to properly allow for
safety, workmanship and inspection
 Air hoods, respirators and sufficient ventilation shall be provided during
blasting, painting and curing
 Contractor must have the proper scaffolding equipment to blast at heights
 Contractor shall have available at the site, all inspection and measuring
equipment such as dry film thickness gauges, holiday detectors
Painting sequence:

 After making proper scaffolding inside, first clean the roof from inside with
copper grit.
 Within four hours after blasting Zinc chromite red oxide shall be applied for
roof inside
 After curing of red oxide primer for inside roof, blast cleaning shall be done for
inside shell portion and double boiled linsed oil shall be applied.
 Overnight curing shall be allowed and then second coat of linsed oil shall be
started for inside
 After completion of inside painting, blast cleaning shall be done for external
surface of roof and to be primed with zinc silicate primer.
 Shell to be blast cleaned thoroughly and Zinc silicate primer to be applied
above 2mtr height which is non insulated area. Heat resistant aluminum paint
shall be applied for insulated area. DFT to be checked after curing
 Overnight curing shall be ensured between coat to coat
 After curing of primer, surfaces shall be cleaned of all dust, excessive spray,
abrasive and other contaminants
 Intermediate coat of epoxy MIO shall be applied at this stage for exterior
surface of tank uninsulated area and roof. For insulated area second coat of
heat resistant aluminum shall be applied. DFT shall be checked
 After curing of intermediate coat final painting of epoxy based shall be
applied
 Final DFT shall be checked.

Protection against high wind

In a conventional method unfinished tanks without stiffeners and before roof

structure erected are highly prone to collapse during high winds

High velocity winds passing over tank diameter cause partial vacuum inside
of tank and this coupled with external force in the direction of wind causes
the shell to collapse either partially or fully into most awkward shapes.

Please note for cone roof tank under construction without roof structure
erected, the curb angle provides virtually no protection against high wind
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This is not only a safety hazard to personnel working inside of tank, but also
requires extremely cumbersome, time consuming and expensive repairs

Methods to prevent accident below

ANCHOR BLOCKS FOR GUY ROPES:

Plan and provide concrete blocks around the tank to provide anchorage for
external guy ropes to be provided during tank erection. The external guy
ropes may be provided from top of the completed shell through special
sliding fixture that is locked in position with two taper wedges in opposite
direction.

STIFFENER RINGS:

During engineering stage provide intermediate stiffener rings all along

circumference either internally or externally to suit erection convenience.
Simple rings fabricated from angles(fixed with flange out) and provided at
shell sections where thickness is 8mm and below provide substantial stiffness
to the completed shell.

CONCLUSION: Our tank will be erected in hydraulic jack method in which

roof will be erected after two shell courses erection. So tank will be stiffened
and hence no need to provide guy ropes.