Project Synopsis
Provide a preliminary independent process engineering evaluation to understand the code requirements for secondary containment and ventilation for a new outdoor truck unloading station and indoor bulk storage tanks at an existing chemical production facility.Project Summary
The client requested that Process Engineering Associates, LLC (PROCESS) provide a preliminary process engineering evaluation for a project that will install an outdoor truck unloading station and indoor bulk storage tanks at an existing facility. The client primarily wanted to understand the code requirements for secondary containment and ventilation for the new installation.
PROCESS started by collecting details on the chemicals to be stored and handled, the tank farm and truck unloading layout, tank and tank truck volumes, tank inertion, fire protection, and how the system would operate. Then, PROCESS assessed the project design against the following codes: International Building Code (IBC), International Fire Code (IFC), and applicable National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes. The design was also compared to industry best practices.
PROCESS summarized the requirements for the following design elements in a report:
- Design criteria for separation of incompatible chemicals
- Secondary containment volume for bulk storage and truck unloading
- Bulk storage building ventilation requirements
- Bulk storage tank ventilation requirements (both normal and emergency).
PROCESS also provided a secondary containment volume calculator spreadsheet so that the client could adjust the containment dimensions once the tank volume and fire protection water/foam spray rates were finalized.
The client is in the process of incorporating these requirements into their design.
Industry Type
Chemical ProductionUtilized Skills
- Process building evaluation
- Process building code interpretation and application
- Tank ventilation and tank farm containment design.