Protecting structural steel

Citation

(2001), "Protecting structural steel", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 48 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/acmm.2001.12848aab.008

Protecting structural steel

Protecting structural steel

Keywords: International Protective Coatings, Fisher Engineering, Steel, Coatings, Corrosion prevention

Steelwork in a massive new cement works which straddles the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland (Plate 1) has been protected by coating systems from International Protective Coatings.

Altogether the project, which includes state-of-the-art and innovative plant design, uses 6,000 tonnes of structural steel. Some is galvanised, but corrosion on 4,000 tonnes is being controlled by heavy duty coatings.

Plate 1 The new Quinn Group cement works protected by products from International Protective Coatings

The new works is just completing its commissioning period. In full production it is capable of producing 3,600 tonnes of cement per day. The plant has been built on a greenfield site in Ballyconnell, Co. Cavan, for the Quinn Group, just a kilometre from their existing cement mill in Northern Ireland, which it will eventually largely replace.

The dry process production line incorporates a vertical coal mill, a raw grinding mill, a twin support kiln with tangential suspension, a grate cooler and cement grinding installation. Limestone, clay and gypsum are available nearby to feed the plant, although coal is imported from South Africa.

In line with modern plant design, as much as possible of the process is enclosed. One of the major structures on the site is the steel-framed, domed pre-blending store, which incorporates 900 tonnes of steel.

Dominating the plant is the preheater tower, a 125m high, steel-framed structure housing the five-stage 112m high preheater. The exposed steel columns on the tower had to be built to withstand massive load and wind induced forces. This meant using 356 x 406 UC sections of grade 355 (grade 50) steel, known as American jumbo sections, weighing more than a tonne a metre, each section specially produced by British Steel in lengths up to 15m and with a component weight of some 17 tonnes.

Steel was also used in enclosed structures such as the cement mill and the clinker and coal stores.

All the structural steel – stairways, hand-rails and associated metalwork – was supplied and erected by Fisher Engineering of Ballinamallard, County Fermanagh.

Fisher Engineering are one of the largest steel fabricators in Ireland, with a leading reputation for work in specialist and unusual steel structures. Because of the innovative design of the tower, Fisher worked closely with the designers F L Smidth of Copenhagen and Kirk McClure Morton of Belfast, who were responsible for the rest of the steelwork with an additional coat of interthane 990 polyurethane finish used on areas of external steelwork where a long-lasting cosmetic finish was a requirement. All the steel was coated in the Fisher Engineering paint shop and the touch-up on site was minimal.

"We have used International's products for some time because of their backup and service", managing director Bertie Fisher explained. "They are a very responsive company. The bottom line for us is that we do not have any comeback on the product."

Further details are available from International Protective Coatings. Tel: +44 (0)20 7479 6000; Fax: +44 (0)20 7479 6555; e-mail: jim.kavanagh@uk.akzonobel.com Web site: www.international-pc.com