When a client asks a question such as, “Can this be accomplished in half a year…”, what do you say? How do you erect not one, but two 500,000 barrel tanks with internal floating roofs in 6 months flat without compromising safety and quality? The simple response is it’s achievable, but not easy. The best response is being able to prove it.

From the day foundations were turned over to mechanical completion, TIW’s full time crew of dedicated and well-trained supervisors, knowledge based schedulers, experienced welders, riggers and fitters were able to turn over 4200 tons of steel into 1,000,000 barrels of storage in 26 weeks.

As the most efficient tank builder in Canada, it’s not easy setting new precedents but sometimes you just have to be given the opportunity to surpass even yourself.

** 3 Tanks — 1,500,000 Barrels — 16 Months Foundation to Coating **

TIW completed (3) massive 211’ x 80’ tanks in 16 months for our client in Western Canada. The scope of the project included tank foundations, design, supply and field erection along with hydrotesting, internal lining and external coating.  From start to finish, our team of engineers, project managers and admin staff along with our experienced field supervisors, welders and riggers worked together to achieve the successful execution of another significant tank project. Give us a call today and let’s talk about your next venture!

See More Tank Pictures

Learn More About Building Tanks

API 650 Tanks, Various Configurations

Related Links

• API 650 Tanks, Various Configurations
  • Roof Types
  • Design Specifics
  • Appurtenances
  • Managed Services
• API 650 Tanks Photo Gallery
• Large-Scale Multi-Tank Projects
• API 620, Low Temp and Cryogenic Storage Tanks

Article written by: Nathan Calford

To our valued clients and subcontractors:

TIW Steel Platework Inc. is pleased to announce that we have entered into a definitive merger agreement with MBB Power Services Inc., a leader in the installation and repair of OTSG, HRSG, Furnaces, Boilers and auxiliary equipment.

This merger with MBB Power Services further strengthens our position in the oil, gas and power generation sectors.  The combination of MBB’s experience in boilers, piping and pressure vessels with TIW’s expertise in design, manufacture and construction of bulk storage and steel platework structures will provide our clients a greater breadth of services under one provider for turnaround, maintenance and repair projects. This partnership is also expected to result in greater efficiencies and significantly increase our market share.

As with all important business decisions, we will work closely with our clients, partners and employees to make the integration process as smooth as possible.  The integration of both companies will be ongoing for the next quarter.  Of course, in the meantime our customers will continue to receive the same high-quality services, they have come to expect.

MBB Power Services will continue to service existing clients under the new operating name, MBB Power Services, a division of TIW Steel Platework Inc.

Supporting the critical infrastructure of our country

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

Supporting the critical infrastructure of our country

Fabrication   Construction

Field Maintenance & Repair Service

To our Valued Customers,

We have been designated as an essential service and are open for business – shop & field.  This includes 24/7 field maintenance & repair services.

The safety of our employees and clients are our utmost priority and we are taking measures to protect our workers both in the office & the field. We are closely monitoring developments with respect to COVID-19, including information and guidance from both the Provincial & Federal Governments and will continue to adjust our COVID policy accordingly.

We’re in continual communication with our key suppliers to ensure that materials & supplies are readily available in order to maintain normal operations to support all our customers who are deemed to be an essential business.

Fully Operational:

Our advanced technology and productivity tools have allowed us full business continuity in all production, construction and office functionality.  Some of our critical support services include:

• Turnaround projects and maintenance events
• Fabrication and procurement
• Construction services
• Engineered products for the aboveground storage market
• ASME & API maintenance & repairs
• Immediate response/emergency repairs
• Boiler, furnace, OTSG and HRSG unit installation, maintenance & repair
• Auxiliary equipment installation, maintenance & repair including piping, duct work, air heaters etc.

For more information:

Go to our COVID-19 information page
Speak to one of our specialists today

We thank you for your business and look forward to continuing to meet your needs on your projects today and in the future.

Emergency Boiler Repair with Minimal Outage

One of our 24/7 emergency maintenance and repair crews recently executed an expedited repair on one of our clients SA type boilers that developed a tube leak over the past week. Working in a confined space, our seasoned crew located and identified tubes to be fixed, prepped the rolled ends of the tubes in both the mud and steam drums, and installed tube plugs in the affected generating tubes. Completion of the repairs included seal welding of the plugs, thus isolating leaking tubes, confirmed by a successful hydro-test.

Our MBB Power Services Division provides repair and maintenance services for all types of pressure vessels plus Cogeneration and Waste Heat Boilers. Whether you require the repair of a single coil leak, or replacement of liner plates or even the complete replacement of a module, we will execute this work in a timely manner in order to minimize your down time and loss of revenue.

The collage below gives a brief sequence of events conducted on this repair.

Description of Collage Pictures

1. Confined space entry for gen tube access (top left)
2. Interior view of mud drum worker identifying and prepping the tube for repair (top center)
3. Genbank tubes ready for installation of plugs (bottom left)
4. Steam drum end tube plug installation (right side of collage)
5. Genbank tue plug installed and welded (right)

Humber’s Boilermaker Apprenticeship Program received an eight-foot diameter tank from TIW Steel Platework Inc., to be used by apprentices to gain real-world skills.

API 650 8’ Diameter x 8’-4” High Cone Roof Tank for Humber College Boilermaker Program.

Like any other area, industrial construction has evolved over the years to where it is today with more and more technology applied in the sector from training to field execution, but sometimes, as the old proverb goes, the more things change the more they stay the same. This is particularly true in the tank world, where tradespeople manipulate simple steel plates into large custom built storage using the humble yet quintessential Boilermaker tools, from 4 lbs hammers to wedges and key-plates.

Future Journeymen Need Real World Examples

In recognizing the value in hands on training, TIW was proud to donate a scaled down 8’ x 8’-4” cone roof tank to Humber College’s Construction Boilermaker Apprenticeship class to contribute the long tradition of tank building in this country. Not only does this benefit the apprentices who will get to erect, fit, weld and layout plate as it has been done for generations in the real world, it will also help contractors who will rely on these future journeymen to carry the next generation of skilled trades.

What’s the most Common Tank Design in Canada?

The majority of our largest Canadian storage tanks are designed to the API 650 standard.  Most commonly used in the oil and gas industry, these tanks often stand 50-80′ high with diameters in the 150-300′ range.  The design comes from the American Petroleum Industry (API), that has established the 650 standard, setting minimum requirements for the design, material, construction, and testing of aboveground, open and closed-top, cylindrical welded steel storage tanks of various capacities and sizes.  They are designed as non-refrigerated tanks with a minimum material thickness of 3/16 inch of carbon steel, austenitic duplex stainless steel, and aluminium. Supporting an internal pressure of 2 ½ PSI or less and an operating temperature of -40°F to 500°F.  They are commonly used to store products such as crude oil, petroleum by-products, chemicals and process water.

Applicable to Many Industries

Aboveground welded steel tanks are used across a wide range of industries with specific needs. From petrochemical and refining to food and beverage processing, TIW has built high quality, custom storage solutions to satisfy some of our customers most stringent requirements.  With over 100 years of expertise in tank building, we provide comprehensive project management services and turnkey tank solutions to clients across a wide range of industries, including:

Terminals

Refining

Oil Sands

Liq. Gas

Power

Mining

Av. Fuel

Firewater

Waste

Paper

Food/Bev

Class of January 2020 – Group shot of students in the Advanced Boilermaker Program at Humber College

Read More about API 650 Tanks

API 650 Tanks, Various Configurations

Related Links

• API 650 Tanks, Various Configurations
  • Roof Types
  • Design Specifics
  • Appurtenances
  • Managed Services
• API 650 Tanks Photo Gallery
• Large-Scale Multi-Tank Projects

Article written by: Jason Pouliot, Nathan Calford

Daily Commercial News released an article about the design, production and field erection of our ASME Storage Spheres, also known as Spherical Tanks.  Author Peter Kenter writes,

Steel tanks are so common in urban and industrial settings that they scarcely attract attention. That is, unless they’re perfect spheres designed and built by TIW Steel Platework of St. Catharines, Ont.

Following an interview with some of our management and field experts, Kenter sheds some light on the design, fabrication and construction process of these unique spherical vessels.

Tank projects begin with engineering, as design drawings indicate the locations of connectors for legs, valves, baffles, staircases, catwalks, cross-members and other intricate features that make the vessels functional and accessible.

You can read the full article here for more details including some interesting facts about the largest spherical tanks we’ve fabricated and some unique challenges faced when erecting spherical tanks in a cold Canadian climate.

By: Nathan Calford

More Information

Constructed in a Canadian Climate

Constructed Internationally

Additional Resources on Spherical Tanks

• ASME Spheres Product Page
  • Storage Application
  • Design Specifics
  • Appurtenances
  • Managed Services
• ASME Spheres Photo Gallery
• API 510 Pressure Vessel Repairs (R Stamp)

Bird’s Eye View – Tank Expansion Project in Progress

At TIW we’ve designed many tanks varying in height, diameter and roof type. Here’s a bird’s eye view of an expansion project one of our tank crews is finishing up in Southern Ontario. Working on a tight schedule, the scope includes design, supply, pre-coating, field erection and final coating of four (4) API 650 column supported cone roof tanks. Three (3) 42’ diameter x 48’ high tanks and one (1) 18’ diameter x 28’ high tank.

All TIW tanks are custom designed to the criteria of their stored product, internal pressure, temperature, and environmental variables. Give us a call today to discuss your next project.

See More Tank Pictures

Learn More About Building Tanks

API 650 Tanks, Various Configurations

Related Links

• API 650 Tanks, Various Configurations
  • Roof Types
  • Design Specifics
  • Appurtenances
  • Managed Services
• API 650 Tanks Photo Gallery
• Large-Scale Multi-Tank Projects
• API 620, Low Temp and Cryogenic Storage Tanks

Article written by: Nathan Calford

Inter Pipeline’s $60-million 3-tank expansion project in Kerrobert, Saskatchewan is yet another successful project for TIW.

The expansion project is now Inter Pipeline’s largest crude oil storage location and was highlighted in a YouTube video posted on Inter Pipeline’s channel. The time lapse video runs just under 2 minutes and gives the viewer a tour of the monumental site in the west-central region of the province.

Time Lapse Video

Press play and you’ll learn the following statistics about the project:

• 250,000 tons of clay and gravel were used to build the foundation
• Sitting on top of the foundation is a deep network of stone columns that support the tanks
• Vapors and emissions are controlled using a sandborn aluminum roof, which floats on top of the oil
• 1,845 tons of steel were used to construct the tanks
• 170,000 man hours were spent

• The three tanks hold 400,000 barrels of oil (combined total)
• Each of the three tanks can weigh up to 20,000 tons fully loaded. They stand over 15 metres tall and spans a massive 42 metres wide

Thanks to a comprehensive planning strategy and solid partnerships with several sub-contractors, we were able to successfully complete the project on an accelerated timeline, while maintaining our high standards for quality, workmanship and safety.

More Details: Read our Wrap-Up

3 Tank Expansion Project

More Information

Additional Resources on API 650 Tanks

• API 650 Tanks, Various Configurations
  • Roof Types
  • Design Specifics
  • Appurtenances
  • Managed Services
• API 650 Tanks Photo Gallery
• Large-Scale Multi-Tank Projects

OTSG Repair – Economizer Tube & Return Bend Replacement

We received a call from a client earlier this month requesting repair services on one of their once through steam generators (OTSG).  Our work began with a known quantity of repairs to be carried out, however the final inspection results revealed many more would be required. The decision was then made by our client to increase the scope of work to include all repairs that fell within the parameters of an 18-month repair option.

Our Team Rose to the Challenge!

The scope of work included the replacement of coil tubes and return bends in the Radiant Section and the Economizer of the OTSG. Upon the first day of mobilization to site, a crew of 4 workers started on days and nights removing known pressure parts slated for replacement, per a 6-month repair option. Four days into the project, the discovery work from the inspection results drove the workload to increase.

We do what it takes!  Our experienced supervision and onsite crew of skilled boilermakers came together in a combined effort to double down and efficiently carry out the increased work load, without compromising safety, and with minimal impact on the outage.

From Complex Work to Successful Delivery

The repair work was very complex and challenging due to the welding positions within a confined space. We were also dealing with different types of material such as 1.25 chrome, 2.25 chrome, and carbon steel which kept our supervision on high alert so that the correct electrodes and weld procedures were utilized.  Our efficient and planned approach yielded a low repair rate of 3% on 170 field welds, even while operating with varying materials and less-than-ideal work conditions!

Executing the Most Difficult Welds in the Industry

As captured in the video below, return bend welds of this type are considered the most difficult in the industry, based on the material grade, location and accessibility of the weld.

Performing welding on the return bends of this economizer had to be carried out under thorough management of change to address the limited access to the weld joints and hazards.

Definition of a Tankee

Noun

1.      A specialty sub-trade of Boilermakers specializing in the erection of above ground storage tanks;

For generations, Boilermakers specializing in the erection of steel storage tanks have been colloquially known as tankies. When someone refers to someone as a tankee, there’s an immediate understanding that what you’ve got is a no nonsense – hammer swinging – rod burning – steel flying – get it done type of tradesperson.

Supervisors require decades of experience as a tankee.

Differentiating themselves due to the nature of the work they perform in the outdoors, whether it’s peak of summer heat, or the dead of Winter, they have carried their reputation with them time over time.  As a result of this, it is not uncommon to associate surnames to the industry over several generations of tank builders from coast to coast.

In recognizing that when many say “tanks, but no tanks,” you know these Boilermakers can be counted on to continue the great tradition of tank building in this country.

From generation to generation they work through every season

See More Tank Pictures

Learn More About Building Tanks

API 650 Tanks, Various Configurations

Related Links

• API 650 Tanks, Various Configurations
  • Roof Types
  • Design Specifics
  • Appurtenances
  • Managed Services
• API 650 Tanks Photo Gallery
• Large-Scale Multi-Tank Projects
• API 620, Low Temp and Cryogenic Storage Tanks

Article written by: Jason Pouliot