A Flare for Efficiency

Routine maintenance plant turnarounds are typically anything but straightforward—as a turnaround in the Southeast quickly demonstrated. The effort called for the removal and replacement of three exchangers, as well as a flare modular replacement. The size and location of the exchangers, the tight window for replacement of the flare, and localized high working-wind speeds were a few of the top challenges that the Deep South team were tasked to overcome.

The complete unit turnaround included the replacement of three exchangers—two on 12’-tall foundations and weighing 359,700 lbs. and one located 43’ above grade that was about the same length weighing 140,000 lbs.—as well as a new 300’ tall, 125,000-lb flare.

All Jacked Up

The exchangers were hauled into position using a Goldhofer THP-DL “Dual Lane” transporter and 24-axle-line Scheuerle SPMT. Because an overhead structure prevented more conventional lifting methods, the exchangers were removed and replaced using a custom-fabricated jack-and-slide method.

One at a time, crews lifted each exchanger onto the slide and moved them into position under the existing structures with Terex-Demag CC-2400 crawler cranes. The two 359,700 lb. exchangers were removed and replaced using 55-ft slide rails that were placed on top of the 12-ft tall foundations and on support stands. The removal and replacement of both of these exchangers took about 14 shifts in total. The 140,000 lb. exchanger was removed and replaced using 80-ft slide rails supported by the unit structure and 43-ft tall towers. The removal and replacement of this exchanger also required about 14 shifts.