Author Archives: Elissa Smith

Process Vessel Platform

SPEC provided 3D scanning technologies, detailed engineering design services, fabrication, installation, and construction oversight of a vessel access platform structure for a pharmaceutical client. The vessel, which was located within a process clean room, required a stairway and platform for access to the top of the vessel. The design included a permanent sleeve to anchor a mobile confined space hoist system, allowing personnel to safely enter the vessel for inspections and other vessel maintenance. SPEC utilized an in-house 3D laser scanner to accurately model the existing area of the proposed structure. SPEC’s structural and civil engineering team utilized the 3D model to design the platform within the space limitations of existing process equipment and piping. Calculations and construction drawings were prepared for the structural steel considering OSHA and IBC regulations for platform design loading and fall protection. SPEC secured and awarded the fabrication and installation of the platform and stair system to a local contractor and provided oversight for the field construction services associated with the installation. SPEC coordinated the project installation schedule directly with the Client and the contractor to coincide with an already scheduled brief shut down period for the process area. The structure was prefabricated off-site in sections sized for transport within the process buildings. On-site work was limited to the erection and connection of the prefabricated segments to reduce the installation time within the shutdown period. SPEC personnel completed site specific safety orientation to gain badge access to restricted clean rooms to complete the work scope. Final walk-downs with the client of the installed platform davit systems were conducted to obtain acceptance of the finished product prior to releasing the construction contractor from service. SPEC maintained and provided record drawings for the work.

Services Provided: Process Management and Design, Civil/Structural Engineering, Design and Drafting, Scanning & 3D Modeling, Safety, Construction Management

Client: Pharmaceutical Company

Project Location: Northeast, USA

Tags: Laser Scanning, OSHA, Platform, Safety

Direct Truck to Tank Butane Blending

SPEC engineered the installation of a direct truck to tank butane blending system at a client’s terminal. The upgrades included a custody transfer quality butane truck offloading area, installation of butane blending nozzles in four storage tanks, a new ANSI recirculation pump, installation of a fast loop butane/gas blending system, and the associated control instrumentation.

Services Provided: Project Development, Permitting, Engineering, Design, Procurement, Safety, Health, and Environmental.

Client: Major Oil Company

Project Location: South, USA

Marketing Terminal 50% Upgrade in Throughput

SPEC provided project support for the upgrade of a Petroleum Marketing Terminal. The upgrades included a new 84,000 BBL storage tank, (6) new ANSI rack supply pumps, a vapor recovery unit (VRU) upgrade including vacuum assisted loading, nearly a mile of new piping and valves, a new outdoor MCC, upgraded ethanol offload area, re-designed terminal traffic pattern, new automated exit gate, relocated additive tank farm and associated equipment, new load rack lane, canopy and three new skid mounted, (4) arm ULSD and ethanol blended Regular, Midgrade and Premium gasoline truck loading equipment.

Services Provided: Project Management and Design, Process Engineering, Civil/Structural Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Instrumentation and Controls, Mechanical Engineering, Design and Drafting, Scanning and 3D Modeling, Permitting, Safety, Procurement Support.

Client: Major Oil Company

Project Location: Midwest, USA

Professional Engineering Services for LNG Facility – Liquefaction

SPEC provided Professional Engineering Services for civil / structural design of the liquefaction (LTS) elements of an LNG Export facility located in the Southeast, USA. SPEC served as the Engineer of Record for the structural design of 18 Gas Process Mega Module units (Approx. 175 ft. by 75 ft. by 75 ft.) which support the equipment, piping and air coolers for the LNG facility in a three level structural system, 18 compressors and their supporting structures and walkways, 9 VFD cooler structures, 18 cable racks, and permanent lifting device review for bridge cranes, Jib cranes, and monorail systems . The equipment was supplied by our client, an Oil & Gas Equipment Supplier and Services company as well as international third-party suppliers. We assisted our client by interfacing directly with third-party suppliers to communicate USA regulations and equipment requirements. We interfaced with the project EPC and local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) regarding their requirements for structural PE-sealed packages for Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and local municipality. SPEC performed a detailed review of the equipment structural support requirements and in conjunction with the client prepared engineering drawings, basis of design documentation, technical specifications and calculation packages as required by FERC and the local AHJ. The scope included the structural steel and steel connection design, pipe and equipment supports, stairways, ladders, handrail and platform OSHA conformance reviews, connections / reactions to structural steel columns and foundations designed by the EPC. SPEC performed and confirmed design calculations using 3D structural software for the structural frame calculations. SPEC provided consulting services for temporary maintenance devices and their requirements for design, installation, testing and inspection per USA requirements.

Services Provided: Project Management and Design, Civil/Structural Engineering, Design and Drafting

Client: Oil & Gas Equipment Supplier and Services Company

Project Location: Southeast, USA

Tags: ASME Pressure Vessel, Code Compliance, Foundations, LNG, OSHA, Platform, Risk Assessment, Safety

Emissions Control Upgrade

SPEC provided the engineering and procurement support for the installation of a new Vapor Recovery Unit (VRU) with vapor vacuum assisted loading at a client’s terminal. The upgrades included a new VRU with continuous inlet and outlet monitoring instrumentation, a new control building, new instrument air system including a new air compressor, desiccant dryer, accumulator vessel and associated instrumentation and controls. A new vapor vacuum control system with new vapor blower, header pressure control, individual truck lane load rack pressure controls, and associated control instrumentation was installed. A temporary vapor control device allowed the terminal to continue to operate during demolition of the existing vapor control equipment and installation of the new system.

Client: Major Oil Company

Project Location: Northeast, USA

Recycled Polystyrene

SPEC provided project development, engineering, drafting, procurement, and construction support for the installation of polystyrene recycling equipment. The project installed new pneumatic conveying equipment and support structure to unload trucks carrying recycled polystyrene solids into storage silos. The project also included pneumatic conveying equipment, including hundreds of feet of piping, filter receivers, diverter valve, rotary valve, and automated knife gate valves, to convey and measure recycled polystyrene solids to dissolver tanks. SPEC designed a new structure to contain pumps, filter/strainers and an extruder / devolatilizer to provide clean liquid styrene monomer stream to be fed into new production feed stream and to filter out and handle any waste plastic.

Services Provided: Project Management and Design, Process Engineering, Civil/Structural Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Instrumentation and Controls, Mechanical Engineering, Design and Drafting, Safety, Procurement Support, Construction Management

Client: Major Chemical Company

Project Location: Northeast, USA

Leach/Etch Process

SPEC’s client started up a new caustic leaching autoclave and required assistance to refine the leach/etch finishing process. SPEC was brought on to operationalize the leach system, which expanded into troubleshooting the leach process to improve the removal of the ceramic core from the product through experimental iteration, while training operators, creating SOPs, and developing the record-keeping system. SPEC aided the lab-scale acid etch process with troubleshooting to attain consistent results, then designed and provided procurement support for the pilot-scale etch process. The leach and etch processes were designed to be housed in an annex building; SPEC reviewed a third-party engineering design for the annex, including ventilation for exposure control from caustic and acid fumes, as well as designed a water scrubber to treat fumes and vapors.

Services Provided: Project Management and Design, Process Engineering, Civil/Structural Engineering, Safety, Procurement Support.

Client: Industrial Manufacturing Company

Location: Northeast, USA

Tags: Safety, Scrubber

Tank to Tank Ethanol Transfer

SPEC provided support for the modification of terminal piping to allow for an existing regular gasoline tank to be used as an ethanol swing tank during a tank inspection at a refined products distribution terminal. SPEC designed new pipe spools and isolation valves to allow for unloading from, and loading to, the load rack at the new swing tank, field measurements of existing piping for drafting, stress analysis for new pipe spools, and creation of project record drawings. SPEC’s design allowed for the use of an existing tank for ethanol storage in time for the terminal to meet the deadline for the existing ethanol tank inspection.

Services Provided: Project Management and Design, Process Engineering, Civil/Structural Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Design and Drafting, Procurement Support

Client: Major Oil Company

Project Location: Southwestern, USA

Tags: Gasoline, Hydraulic Calculations

Davit Program

SPEC provided Engineering Design Services as well as fabrication, installation and construction oversight of vessel entry and retrieval platform davit hoist systems for ten existing vessels within a pharmaceutical process area. SPEC’s civil and structural engineers designed and prepared construction drawings for the prefabricated davit arm connection and anchorage to the supporting platform steel considering OSHA’s regulations for fall protection and fall arrest load ratings. SPEC secured and awarded the fabrication and installation of the davit anchorage and structural platform modifications to a local contractor, and SPEC provided oversight for the field construction services associated with the installation. SPEC personnel completed site specific safety orientation to gain badge access to restricted clean rooms to complete the work scope. Final walk-downs with the client of the installed platform davit systems were conducted to obtain acceptance of the finished product prior to releasing the construction contractor from service. SPEC maintained and provided record drawings for the work.

Services Provided: Project Management and Design, Civil/Structural Engineering, Design and Drafting, Safety, Construction Management

Client: Pharmaceutical Company

Project Location: Northeast, USA

Tags: OSHA, Platform, Process Vessel, Safety

Marketing Terminal Upgrade

SPEC provided the engineering, procurement support, and construction management for the upgrade of a Petroleum Marketing Terminal. The upgrades included demolition of (2) existing tanks, installation of a new 45,000 BBL storage tank, (4) new ANSI rack supply pumps, (2) new (3) arm loading skids with meters, control valves, additive injectors, and instrumentation for ULSD and ethanol blended Regular, Midgrade and Premium Gasolines. New outdoor MCC and load rack control equipment were also installed.

Services Provided: Project Management and Design, Process Engineering, Civil/Structural Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Instrumentation and Controls, Mechanical Engineering, Design and Drafting, Safety, Fire Protection, Procurement Support, Construction Management

Client: Major Oil Company

Project Location: Midwest, USA