In 2016 Pace Engineering was awarded the project to remove existing pipe supports along the petrochemical pipeline corridor and replace them with new supports. The corridor runs from the Moturoa Bridge where many of the services converge to the Newton King Tanker Terminal. The pipeline conveys many volatile fuel sources including Methanol, Fuel Oil, Bitumen, Naptha Condensates, and Hydrocarbon Condensates along with many others.
The Pace team was challenged with not only the danger of hot work for removing the existing supports but also with turbulent weather and tidal patterns that are common over the winter months. In addition, it was necessary that the work was to be carried out around shipping timetables in order to avoid any delay of products reaching foreign export markets.
Project logistics included:
- Measure and plot new baseplate locations avoiding pre-tensioned steel cords in the concrete base
- Data sent to Pace draftsman for analysis and recording
- Produce Solidworks CAD General Arrangement and structural detail drawings
- Installing temporary supports and removing existing supports
- Installing new supports, hardware, and furniture, and fix to wharf structure
- Removal of temporary supports, touch up all paint defects, clean and remove debris and old steel
All work was carried out under Port Taranaki Permit to Work system. Lift plans, job hazard analysis, and hazard identification documentation were submitted on a daily basis before commencing any work.
Almost 8000 man-hours were carried out safely without a serious harm injury.
