Stephanie Keeth - P66
Matthew Hickey - Structural Preservation
In spring 2017, Structural Preservation Systems, LLC. undertook an extensive rehabilitation program to restore the coke chutes and surrounding pit areas of a two-drum delayed coking unit at a refinery in the western United States. The hallmark of the rehabilitation program was the removal of the existing embedded steel wear plates within the coke chute areas which were replaced with an innovate floating slide plate system. The purpose of the floating slide plates is to allow the plates to “float” freely without a physical connection to the coke chute which simplifies future repair/upgrades significantly.
This presentation will be delivered in a case study format highlighting the success of the project, the innovative floating slide plate assembly and the performance of the system to date.
Matthew Hickey, P.Eng, PMP, is a Project Manager at Structural Preservation Systems, LLC. based out of Anaheim, California. Over the past decade, Matthew has accumulated a diverse portfolio of experience in the assessment and design of repair and strengthening solutions for reinforced and post-tensioned concrete structures across the US and Canada. As a Project Manager, he is responsible for initiating, planning, and executing complex construction projects for commercial and industrial applications. Matthew is a member of ICRI, ACI, PMI, and PTI and serves as an active voting member on ICRI 110: Guide Specifications.
An important part of each RefComm session is the interactive Q&A that follows each presentation. Audience members are encouraged to ask questions live or through the interactive app (SLIDO). Because of the high volume of questions, not all were addressed during the event. Below are a few key questions with accompanying answers from the presenters.
Question: Why did you move away from AR400 and not try AR500? If you have corrosion issues that you identify with chloride ion testing, are you not concerned with 304L?
Answer: We believe that the metallurgy of the AR material was corroding as much as eroding. We wanted to stop the corrosion mechanism. After several other good experiences/applications using 300 series SS in our coke handling equipment (slide plates, crusher chutes and wear plates, conveyor chutes) we selected SS for our floating slide plates.
Question: How many SS floating plates are in service?
Answer: We were the first SS slide plate application that Structural was involved in. To my knowledge, we are the only one.
Question: Has the impact zone been compromised in any way from the material change or from being spaced from concrete slope wall?
Answer: No. We have no evidence from the concrete that is exposed (approximately 24′ across the width of slope). We have not been able to see underneath the plate but don’t see anything on the edges of the plate. The plate does not “bounce” much visually during a cut.