Chemical Engineering August 2018 - 63

on: a greenfield site is new construction; a brownfield
site is adding to an existing facility. When installing a silo
next to existing equipment on a brownfield site, downtime
can be very costly. Make sure you talk to your site
contractor about all the variables, including the use of a
crane, the need to set up scaffolding and more. Spending
time for upfront planning can go a long way toward
ensuring the construction runs smoothly and on time.
To provide a sense of the duration of project stages,
it is typical to allow three or four weeks for an engineering
timeline, during which you would consider and approve
drawings, and eight to ten weeks for fabrication
of the silo, following the final project approval from the
end user. Of course, lead times increase and decrease
according to the size and complexity of the project.
How will your silo look?
The external appearance of the silo needs to be acceptable
for both aesthetic and pragmatic reasons. Paint
systems for silos can range from no coating at all to
sophisticated multi-coat paint systems. The paint coatings
not only determine the appearance of the silo to
the public, but also serve as protection against corrosion
and other damage. In most cases, coatings are
essential for storage performance that meets the requirements
of the application, such as corrosion and
abrasion resistance. Higher-quality coatings mean more
protection during the life of the silo.
The most common silo coatings tend to be epoxy
primer with polyurethane topcoats. Custom coatings,
which are usually user-specified, can range from primer
only to high-end zinc prime/epoxy mid-coat/polyurethane
topcoat. Custom color match is usually available
and coating life usually can extend up to 20 years with
proper maintenance.
It is important to take into account the impact of
weather on the silo coating. Rain can cause inadequate
coatings to delaminate from the surface of the structure.
Heat and cold cycles can cause the silo's metal to
expand and contract, which could cause the coatings
to separate. The sun's ultraviolet rays can accelerate
coating deterioration and chalking. If all of these factors
are considered, the right coating can make the difference
between a high-performaning silo and one that
will fail prematurely.
Some coatings require inspection in order to satisfy
federal, state and city regulations. With such a wide variety
of paint options, your vendor needs to be a specialist
in the field who can guide you through the decision-making.
The good news is a quality vendor will be
experienced in planning for all these scenarios.
Where will the silo be located?
Consider the size of the area where the silo will be located.
This will help determine the silo type and construction
method. Once the location is determined,
consider how the silo will be maneuvered into place.
Make sure the silo vendor is capable of transporting and
installing the silo in the given area. It is essential to ask
detailed questions about the logistics of the transport,
including those about specialized trailers, which allow
for maneuverability and can be lowered or raised in the
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Chemical Engineering August 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chemical Engineering August 2018
