W W W. C A R G O T R A N S F E R .

N E T

VOPAK 60m diameter dome

and internal floating roof
completed in just 7 weeks

CTS40 double seal and drain

systems for new Air BP tank

February 2006

Suspended Floating suction

line installed at Total Refinery
Antwerp

SYSTEMS

AND

PRODUCTS

FOR

INDUSTRIAL

CARGO

TRANSFER

AND

STORAGE

CTS completes a busy 2005:

In 2004 CTS was formed
continuing the activities from
Deltaflex, Hofland Deltaflex
and Econosto in the area of
storage tanks. This with the
mission to support the design,
manufacturing, supply,
installation and maintenance
of products and systems for
industrial cargo transfer and
storage. Particular emphasis
was given to further
developing the product line
for atmospheric storage tanks
which includes amongst
others aluminium geodesic
domes, internal floating roofs,
tank seals, drain systems and
floating suction lines.
Apart from this a dedicated and
specialist line of products for the
safe and effective transfer and
storage of chemicals and
hydrocarbons was developed,
covering engineered hose
systems, dry break couplers and
emergency release systems. We
design, supply and install these
products around the world.
Besides this extensive range of
products for atmospheric tank
storage and transfer of
hazardous materials CTS also
offers aluminium dome roofs for
architectural projects, for waste

water projects and for bulk

storage projects.
Where CTS is a new name, the
management and staff as well as
the product lines both have an
extensive track record in this
industry. We are therefore
excellently capable of selecting
and installing the best products
in this area. A close cooperation
with global leaders in the area of
geodesic aluminium dome roofs
and aluminium internal floating
roofs together with a well
balanced port folio of our own
engineered and manufactured
products makes us a strong
partner for any of the product
lines.
When reflecting on 2005 we at
CTS are looking back at a very

busy and successful year, where

many projects were completed.
The following list is a partial list of
customers where we have
completed projects in 2005:
BP Sonatrach (Algeria),
through MW Kellogg Ltd. (UK)
DuPont de Nemours
(The Netherlands)
Holborn (Germany)
LBC (Belgium)
MOT (The Netherlands)
Odfjell (The Netherlands)
Oil Terminal (Romania)
Petrol (Bulgaria)
Petrom OMV (Romania)
Petrotel Lukoil (Romania)
Sabic (The Netherlands)
Shell (France)
TEAM Terminal
(The Netherlands)
Total Refinery (Belgium and
The Netherlands)
Total Fina Elf (France)
Vopak (The Netherlands)
In many of these projects we
have cooperated with tank
contractors realizing projects
within the scope required, paying
attention to safety, quality and
progress. We would like to
express our sincere thanks to
our customers, contractors and
sub-contractors and our staff for
their contributions to a very busy
and productive 2005 without lost
time incidents!

CTS

Newsletter

Issued:

February

2006

Suspended Floating suction line

installed at Total Refinery Antwerp
Quality requirements for
hydrocarbons such as Jet Fuel
are getting increasingly
demanding with respect to
water content, and other
contaminants possibly
affecting the performance of
the product stored in
atmospheric storage tanks.
This aspect is particularly
important for external
floating roof tanks, as rain
water penetration is
inevitable with this tank
design. On the other hand
emissions for external floating
roof tanks are low compared
to fixed roof tanks.
Floating suction lines:
One of the ways to address this
requirement in delivering a better
quality product from storage
tanks is to include a floating
suction line (FSL) arrangement in
the tank. The major advantage is
the fact that a floating suction
line will always collect product

from the higher end of the liquid

column present in the tank. This
is not the case when pumping out
over a high suction line where
this nozzle is usually close to the
tank bottom and this
automatically results in more
contaminants such as water and
corrosion debris being pumped
out from the tank.

suction lines can either be style

40F elbow swivels, or central
balanced swivels. The advantage
of central balanced swivels is the
fact that these swivels prevent
bending moments on both the
tank shell nozzle as well as on the
floating suction line. Disadvantage
is their bigger size and weight
compared to elbow swivels.

Different FSL designs:

Total Refinery Antwerp:

Floating suction lines are available

in different designs. These include
designs based on floats for fixed
roof tanks, and suspended lines
for external floating roof tanks. In
the latter version the suction line
is connected on a guiding rail
installed on the bottom of the
floating roof. Apart from these
basic types, floating suction lines
are available in multiple arm
designs, accommodating small
diameter tanks with a high tank
shell. Typically floating suction
lines are manufactured in either
carbon steel, stainless steel or
aluminium.
The swivels used for floating

In the third quarter 2005 Total

Refinery Antwerp awarded a FSL
order to main contractor
Verwater Belgium, where
Verwater quoted the contract
based on the design and supply of
the FSL by CTS. The floating
suction line had a diameter of 12,
was manufactured in aluminium,
and suspended from an external
floating roof by a special
suspension mechanism. As all
parts in the line where made from
aluminium, stainless steel and
Fluor polymer components the
FSL assembly supplied is suitable
for all hydrocarbons, including
100% aromatics.

Suspended floating suction line arrangement after installation.

CTS

Newsletter

Issued:

February

2006

Dome order for BP-Sonatrach

Algeria through MW Kellogg Ltd.
Algeria has since long been an
important area for oil and gas
exploration. As there is a vast
presence of natural gas there
are multiple projects
developed to explore this
source of energy. JGC and
Kellogg, Brown & Root (KBR)
are realizing an important
project being the In Amenas
gas development project in
Algeria.

project will be operated by BP

and Sonatrach, is a large-scale
natural gas development located
in the Sahara desert, in the
south-eastern region of the
Algeria approximately 100km
west of the Libyan border. Major
parts of the actual construction
are supported by MW Kellogg
from the UK, an operating
company of JGC and KBR
Halliburton.

Aluminium dome roof for fire

water tank:
Introduction In Amenas Gas
Project (IAGP):
The project includes design,
procurement, construction, and
commissioning services for a
natural gas processing plant with
a throughput of 1,050mm cfpd,
offsite utilities, three pipelines,
and related infrastructure. The
value of the contract is
approximately $ 745 million.
Completion was scheduled for the
end of 2005. The In Amenas

Important part of the In Amenas

gas plant is the fire water tank,
having a diameter of 36.7
meters and a height of app. 13
meters. Originally being
engineered as a steel roof tank,
the limited time frame for the
tank construction made the site
staff change the design of the
tank roof to an aluminium dome
roof. This as the construction
time required for installing an
aluminium dome roof was

significantly less than the time

and effort required building the
tank as a steel roof tank. Apart
from this it allowed building the
roof next to the tank, while the
tank was coated and water
tested.

Design of the aluminium

dome roof:
Being slightly different than a
petroleum storage tank, the
dome roof was engineered with a
solid counter flashing to keep
sand out from the tank during
sand storms. Apart from this
aspect wind loads in the desert
area can be quite high, so the
project required the dome to be
able to withstand wind speeds up
to 180 kilometers per hour,
requiring a stronger dome
structure.

Project support by CTS

Netherlands:
MW Kellogg solicited bids from
several bidders and dome

Dome frame under construction.

CTS

Newsletter

Issued:

February

2006

Frame is completed, dome panels are being installed.

manufacturing companies, where

after careful evaluation including
several factory visits the project
was awarded to CTS. This based
on a competitive bid within the
bidding deadline, and our ability to
support the project at the
remote location. It was agreed
that CTS would send in Dutch
staff to built the dome, where 3
to 4 weeks of construction time
were planned in to completely
install the dome. Apart from this
CTS supplied all special tools
required at site, including a

certified lifting bonnet to allow a

single crane lifting the dome in
place.

Engineering and construction

of the dome:
Other than just supplying the
dome, CTS supported the design
change of the tank by engineering
the top wind girder and walkway
and the interfaces between the
tank shell and the dome roof. This
by re-using some of the
redundant materials available at
site for the steel roof. As part of

the usual CTS project approach a

safety and installation plan were
drafted out, including the lifting
plan for the dome. For the
installation five operators of CTS
travelled to Algeria to install the
dome.
CTS was able to complete the job
in less than 3 weeks, leaving little
to be desired at the customer
end for this project as it certainly
met the initial objectives of MW
Kellogg that were motivating the
design change for this tank.

Lifting the dome by crane on to the tank.

STOC

Stocexpo 2006:
At the Stocexpo 2006
(from 28 30 March 2006)
CTS B.V. will be exhibiting in
Ahoy, Rotterdam, please see
us there to catch up with our
latest product developments.

CTS

Newsletter

Issued:

February

2006

Nerefco (BP-Texaco joint venture)

orders direct contact roof from CTS:
Internal floating roofs have
developed in recent decades
into important systems to
reduce emissions. When
looking at internal floating
roofs there are 2 basic designs
available, being either a full
contact roof or a non-contact
internal floating roof. The noncontact floating roofs are the
most widely installed roofs
world wide, for economic
reasons. Typically they are
based on aluminium pontoons,
covered with a vapour tight
deck skin to prevent product
vapours to migrate in the
space on top of the floating
roof. Being a reliable and
economic roof, many of these
have been installed at
terminals worldwide in both
petroleum and chemical
service.
Full contact roofs:

only rim seal fire protecting

foam systems required for
metallic full contact roofs

Honeycomb panel based full

contact roof:
Within the product range of CTS
there is an excellent Honeycomb
structure aluminium full contact
roof available. The CTS direct
contact roofs are manufactured
from aluminium panels,
incorporating a light weight but
strong honeycomb aluminium
stiffening structure. The individual
panels are fully welded and
pressure tested prior to
shipment, so the all important
integrity of the panels is
guaranteed. On the jobsite the
panels are positioned into the
tank and easily assembled using
a state-of-the-art hook and pin
design to interconnect the
elements. Apart from being very

effective a direct contact roof is

also low in height, maximising
storage capacity for the tank
involved.

Direct contact internal

floating roof, typical features:
emission reduction of
Volatile Organic Carbons
exceeding 98%
maintenance free
compatible with all stored
products, including 100%
aromatics
light weight structure
manufactured from aluminium
and stainless steel
can be fitted on tanks with
diameters between 6 and
120 meters
expected service life excess
of 30 years
designed for each specific
tank

Direct contact roof, typical structure and seal details.

Full contact roofs have several

advantages over non-contact
roofs. Some of the more
important features for a full
contact roof are the following:
high emission reduction, as
the roof eliminates the
product-air interface over
large areas, thus
automatically preventing
evaporation of the product
stored
strong and rigid roof,
therefore better suited for
blending and Nitrogen
pigging operations
better corrosion resistance
as a result of higher deck
skin material thicknesses
low building height as a
result of the roof displacing
liquid over its entire surface,
so any submergence result
in equivalent buoyancy on
this complete surface

CTS

Newsletter

Issued:

February

2006

 easy installation, full

installation manuals and
project support available
complies with API 650 (2003)
Appendix H standard
successfully used globally by
many major oil and tank
storage companies
realistic engineering option for
new storage tanks
suitable for high filling and
emptying rates as well as
Nitrogen pigging, mixing and
blending operations
can be equipped with several
different seal designs in an
extensive range of materials
Based on these engineering
features CTS will install a 36m
internal floating roof for Nerefco
(BP-Texaco joint venture) early
2006, this in cooperation with
Mercon.

Detail on panel interlocking system for HC direct contact roofs.

Non-skid surface on LBC tank:

At CTS we support systems
and products for atmospheric
storage tanks. On a regular
basis we assist our customers
in areas other than our main
product lines being tank seals,
dome roofs and internal
floating roofs.
Access to fixed roof tanks:
Both maintenance staff as well
as operators frequently climb
fixed roof storage tanks to
inspect and maintain storage
tank systems as gauging
equipment and gauge hatches or
to take level measurements or
product samples. As safety is
always a key concern when
accessing an elevation tank
owners set high safety standards
for the access to tank roofs.

weather conditions. Despite the

presence of a peripheral handrail
these conditions have to be dealt
with by staff that accesses the
roof. One of the possible
improvements facilitating access
to tank roofs is to install a nonskid surface.
Recently CTS has completed an
order for the LBC Antwerp
Terminal (Belgium), where we

applied a non-skid surface to a

tank roof for ensuring safe
access. We installed a surface
consisting of a suitable rubber
grade reliably fastened on to the
roof of the tank, ensuring safe
access under all circumstances.
This as a continuation of our job
record from the past where we
converted multiple tanks in an
identical fashion for LBC Antwerp.

Non-skid surface on insulated tank at LBC Antwerp.

Non-skid surface:
Tank roofs can become
dangerously slippery as a result
of spilled product, rain or freezing

CTS

Newsletter

Issued:

February

2006

60m diameter dome and internal

floating roof for Vopak Oil Rotterdam
completed in just 7 weeks
Backgrounds of this project:
In May 2005 CTS was awarded
the contract by Vopak Oil
Rotterdam to supply and
install an aluminium dome
and a cable suspended
aluminium internal floating
roof for a tank with a
diameter of 60m and a height
of 30.5m The order comprised
of converting an existing
external floating roof tank to
an internal floating roof tank.
Special to this project was the
fact that the aluminium
internal floating roof is cable
suspended from the
aluminium dome roof,
eliminating legs penetrating
the roof and contacting the
steel bottom. This reduces
maintenance costs as well as
emissions by these leg
penetrations.

as no blasting and coating of

materials of the dome and
internal floating roof are required.
Apart from that also emissions
of volatile organic carbons are
significantly reduced as the wind
and sun are denied access to the
tank. Finally rainwater no longer
penetrates the product stored,
which is another reason to
convert the tank.

For Vopak there were several

considerations motivating this
tank conversion. The main aspect
was the fact that the external
floating roof involved raised
serious concern as a result of
significant corrosion found in the
pontoons. This despite the fact
that the tank had undergone
extensive maintenance in 2001.
Replacing the external floating
roof with a new external floating
roof would be a costly and time
consuming exercise. Installing an
aluminium dome and an
aluminium internal floating roof in
stead reduces the future
maintenance costs considerably

Tank emissions acc. Chapter

19, API:
When calculating the emissions
for the different tank types,
based on the rather low number
of 4 turnovers per year the
following are the results:

Tank type

Emission
(lbs/year)

Emission
(kg/year)

External floating roof tank

Internal floating roof tank

35,903
14,984

16,285
6,796

Dome structure during assembly.

CTS

Newsletter

Issued:

February

2006

Incremental reduction
percentage (IPPC BREF)
0
58%

Panelled dome resting inside the tank prior to being lifted.

Under IPPC BAT requirements

reducing emissions significantly
beyond initial reductions is
becoming more and more
important. Covering external
floating roofs with dome roofs,
and taking out the sun and wind
from the tank results in
significant emission reductions,
and is classified as BAT (Best
Available Technique) reducing
emissions. Please note
calculations were made for
gasoline (RVP10).

commercial tank terminal. Apart

from this CTS has satisfactorily
installed multiple dome and
internal floating roof projects for
Vopak in the past decades,
amongst others acting as
Deltaflex and Econosto.

CTS supplied the materials on

site in less than 12 weeks from
date of order, including a 3 week
shipping time. Installation of both
the dome and the internal
floating roof took less than 7
weeks, working 2 shifts of 7
operators during 6 days a week.
Completion of the project was
realized per the end of
September 2005, where work
began only the 8th of August
2005. The cooperation with
Dijksman Verwater, the tank
contractor on this job, worked
out well, and their contribution to
the project certainly paid off in
completing the project as per
expectations.

Building the dome and

internal floating roof:
The most challenging aspect of
the project was the fact that
multiple modifications had to be

Dome lifting cables connected to the dome, top view.

Tank availability and lead

times:
Looking at the fact that tank
0903 has an overall height of
30.5 meter (100) the lead time
of the project was critical in
awarding the project to CTS. This
as the tank capacity for tank
0903 represents an impressive
85,000 cubic metres, so
availability would be a major
deciding factor for any
done in a minimum of time, while
not compromising safety and
quality for the project. Installing
the dome and internal floating
roof required modifications to the
fire fighting system, the ladders
and the internals of the tank.
Working at height also introduces
a careful approach safeguarding
personnel involved. The main
stages of the project were as
follows:

Lifting configuration for the dome roof.

built the structure of the

dome on the tank bottom

CTS

Newsletter

Issued:

February

2006

 panel the structure with

aluminium panels and sky
lights, enabling day light entry
meanwhile modify the tank to
enable positioning of the dome
lift the dome to the top of the
tank
complete dome structure and
walkway on top of the dome
install and suspend internal
floating roof

Lifting the dome:

As the tank involved is very likely
the highest atmospheric storage
tank in the world, the dome lift
was a critical phase of the
project. Normal lifts only require
a dome to travel a distance from
12m (app. 40) to 20m (app. 66).
Here the lifting height was 30.5m
(100), and as a result of this took
more time than our earlier dome
lifts. The lifted dome weight was
app. 35 tons, and 28 pneumatic
actuated grip hoists were used
for lifting the dome on top of the
tank. After the lift was completed
the dome had to be secured to
the top angle of the tank.

Suspended internal floating

roof:

Cable suspended internal floating roof, view from underneath.

underneath the dome, on

temporary supports for the
structure. After completing the
structure, the 180 cables
supporting the roof were
tensioned and the temporary
roof supports were removed. The
full load of the internal floating
roof load being app. 13 tons was
now fully suspended from the
aluminium dome roof.

Completion note:

After completing the dome the

internal floating roof was built

Without any lost time incidents,

and within the challenging time
frame as agreed the job was

completed and the staff

responsible for the project
completed 2 complex aluminium
structures with a combined
weight of 55 tons in tank 0903.
On behalf of CTS we would like to
thank Vopak Oil Rotterdam,
Dijksman Verwater and all others
involved for their contribution to
this remarkable result, where all
parties have contributed more
than their fair share in realising
this complex project in time and
without compromises with
respect to safety and quality!

Dome is lifted out of the tank.

CTS

Newsletter

Issued:

February

2006

NPCC orders tank seal and integral

foam dam for Adma Opco
CTS has built an impressive
international track record for
the engineering, supply and
installation of aluminium
dome roofs, internal floating
roofs, tank seals, drain
systems, floating suction lines,
vapour holding membranes,
special hose systems and
other tank related systems.
Jobs have been conducted in
most countries in Europe,
Asia, South America and
Africa.
NPCC order for ADMA OPCO in
the United Arab Emirates:
Amongst a string of recent
orders we received an order
from NPCC, one of the major
tank contractors in the Middle
East. The materials are destined
for ADMA OPCO in the United
Arab Emirates. ADMA-OPCO (Abu
Dhabi Marine Operating

Company) is a pioneering oil and

gas producer whose operations
date back to the 1950s, and are
centred in the offshore areas of
Abu Dhabi. The company is part
of the ADNOC Group of
companies, representing a
massive force in Oil and gas
production in the Middle East.
The ADMO-OPCO Oil and gas
production comes from two
major fields, being Umm Shaif
and Zakum. The crude is
collected from these fields using
giant steel structures called
super complexes, and then
transferred to Das Island, a
nearby industrial base, for
processing, storing and world
export. The order placed at CTS
involved the supply of a double
CTS40 compression plate seal
with an integral foam dam. This
represents a modern seal
combination and foam dam, both
executed in stainless steel and
both bolted directly to the rim

angle of the floating roof of a

79m diameter tank.
The main reasons for using an
integral foam dam are the
following:
no water and debris
accumulating on the area of
the floating roof between the
seal and the foam dam,
causing the steel roof to
corrode
less foam required for fire
fighting purposes, which will
result in more efficient fire
extinguishing
the fact that less foam is
required to fill up the seal
area could also reflect in cost
savings when designing the
foam piping and foam makers
for new tanks, as less foam
will be required per time unit
Both the seal as well as the
integral foam dam will be supplied
early 2006.

CTS40 seal arrangement as on order for ADMA OPCO (UAE).

CTS

Newsletter

Issued:

February

2006

EN 14015 fire fighting foam

requirements for secondary seals
The well accepted BS2654
standard for the construction
of atmospheric storage tanks
has been replaced by a new
standard, the EN 14015. This
new standard is now in the
process of being ratified for
the independent member
states of the European Union.
In many aspects there are
changes from earlier
standards, so one should
realise that these changes
may have their impact on
engineering aspects for
storage tanks.
Apart from the basic standard
for tank design of atmospheric
tanks this new standard EN
14015 has amongst others
following Annexes (not all are
listed here, the final Annex is
Annex R):
Annex A: Documentation
requirements
Annex B: Operational and
safety considerations
Annex C: Requirements on
(internal) floating covers
Annex D: Requirements
for (external) floating
roofs
Annex E: Requirements
for rim seals for
(external) floating roofs

Liquid mounted seal:

In the Standard the phrasing is
as follows: In order to achieve
the best possible sealing, a lower
element of the seal shall project
into the stored liquid, close to
the tank shell.
This requires primary seals to be
liquid mounted, which is a new
requirement compared to the
replaced BS2654.
Foam penetration ports:
The exact phrasing printed in EN
14015 is: Note: Metallic seal
elements completely covering
the rim space between floating
roof and tank shell should be
equipped with foam ports to
allow the entry of fire-fighting
foam under fire conditions.
One has to realise that the risk of
rim fires is negligible on adequate
double tank seals (primary and
secondary seal). On the other
hand one can never rule out rim
fires completely, and relevant
applicable standerds require
compliance. On the foam
penetration ports it is possible to
Secondary CTS-seal with foam ports.

include these on metallic

compression plate seals such as
the CTS20 and CTS40 seals by
incorporating ports covered with
a fabric reinforced rubber
material. Different methods of
foam application are available,
including systems penetrating the
secondary seal or systems using
piping entering the rim space
under the primary seal. This
should make the foam port
requirement redundant, as these
systems clearly address the
background of this requirement
effectively.
Finally it should be noted that
amongst others the NFPA11 has
very different requirements on
fire fighting arrangements for rim
fires on external floating roofs
than the new EN 14015. Apart
from that different standards
and relevant codes could be
governing tank engineering as
well, such as API 650 and 653,
EEMUA, European legislation and
local requirements. Feel free to
ask for our support in this area
when maintaining or replacing
tank seals.

Tank seal requirements,

Annex E (external floating
roof tanks):
When reviewing the
requirements for tank seals
as per this new standard,
the following paragraphs are
relevant for seal design and
fire fighting arrangements
on external floating roof
tanks:

CTS

Newsletter

Issued:

February

2006

CTS30 primary seal installed

at Odfjell:
Liquid mounted primary seals
are the most effective seals
with respect to emission
reduction for external floating
roof tanks. CTS supplies
several types of liquid
mounted primary seals such
as shoe plate seals and liquid
mounted foam seals. Liquid
mounted seals however will
have to deal with liquid
exposure for the seal
materials in contact with the
liquid phase of the product.
These materials are prone
getting damaged by this liquid
exposure where materials just
being exposed to the product
vapours are less likely to be
damaged. The liquid contacting
seal materials can result in
compatibility problems especially
when the product stored has a

high content of aromatic

hydrocarbons such as Benzene
or Toluene.

CTS30, liquid mounted

compression plate seal:
Since more than a decade CTS
supplies a seal based on stainless
steel compression plates
penetrating the liquid, being
backed up by a vapour and liquid
tight PTFE (Teflon) vapour
barrier. The main advantage of
this seal is that all materials used
are 100% resistant against all
known aromatic hydrocarbons
and chemicals while being liquid
mounted.

Vigorous seal testing program

at CTS:
To ensure reliable performance
of our seals CTS has the ability to
put seals to the test. A factory
testing rig travels seals up and
down, allowing the rim gap to be

CTS30 primary seal after complete installation.

CTS30 primary seal during

factory testing.

changed from maximum

allowable rim gaps to minimal rim
gaps. Apart from this the seal is
tested on an abrasive background,
simulating corrosion deposits on
an actual tank shell. This unique
seal testing facility allows CTS to
reliably predict and test the
performance of tank seals.

Odfjell Tank Terminal

Rotterdam:
At Odfjell (formerly known as
Paktank) there is great interest in
realising a greater aromatic
compatibility for tank seals, this in
combination with using liquid
mounted primary seals for
maximum emission reduction.
Based on the experience of CTS
designing, testing and supplying
these seals an order was
awarded to CTS for installing a
CTS30 liquid mounted primary
seal with a CTS20 secondary seal.
Both the primary CTS30 and the
secondary CTS20 seals were
installed at a 36m diameter
external floating roof tank, where
the seals were installed in less
than 5 working days despite the
awkward weather conditions.

CTS

Newsletter

Issued:

February

2006

Rehabilitating leaking floating

roof pontoons
After several decades of
service an external floating
roof requires more
maintenance efforts to make
sure the roof will still travel
up and down without
introducing concerns about its
integrity. When looking at
external floating roofs there
are multiple systems that
require increasing
maintenance when the roof is
ageing. The most important
systems are the following (in
random order):
- coating systems
- rolling ladder and ladder
track
- tank gauging system
- fire fighting system
- tank seal
- gauge pole cover
- leg sleeves and roof legs
Roof pontoons and their
integrity:
The buoyancy of an external
floating roof is typically based on
pontoons at the perimeter of the

roof for single deck type roofs.

For double deck roofs the
pontoons are located on the full
surface of the roof. It is quite
common for pontoons to get leak
after decades of service. These
leaking pontoons will then collect
product, reducing the buoyancy of
the floating roof.
In all design codes for external
floating roofs there is a provision
for roofs still to float despite a
certain percentage of pontoons
being leak and having product
inside. This in combination with
the roof being loaded with a
certain amount of rainwater.
Independent from this leaking
pontoons represent a concern
for tank owners, especially when
these leaking pontoons are
directly adjacent to each other.
They can destabilise the roof, and
this could easily result in an
external roof sinking partially or
completely.

external floating roof in service

diagnosed having leak pontoons,
has been a request to CTS from
several tank owners over the
recent years. CTS has developed
a system where polymer balloons
are inserted in the pontoon, and
inflated with an inert gas. This to
stop further product penetration,
and to ensure the buoyancy of
the roof. While not being a long
term solution, this approach can
help bridging the gap between
tank inspections showing
pontoons being leak and the
scheduled maintenance cycle for
the tank involved. It should be
emphasized that the only
definitive way to address this
concern would be a full repair on
the floating roof involved.
It can be worthwhile to consider
installing an aluminium dome roof
with an internal floating roof
replacing an external floating roof
and changing the design of the
tank involved.

Rehabilitating leaking
pontoons on tanks in service:
Ensuring the integrity of an

CTS Pontoon balloon inflated in leaking pontoon.

CTS

Newsletter

Issued:

February

2006

CTS40 double seal and drain

systems for new Air BP tank
Air BP is the specialised
aviation fuels and lubricants
division of BP, one of the
worlds major energy
companies. Air BP supplies
aviation fuels (both Jet
Kerosene & Aviation
Gasoline) and lubricants (for
both turbine and pistonengined aircraft) to all
sectors of the aviation
industry. In addition, Air BP
provides technical services
and engineering consultancy
to partners worldwide.
Bottom view of CTS40 double seal arrangement, and bumper wheel.

As part of the Air BP

international expansion new
atmospheric storage tank
capacity for Jet Fuel at the
Nerefco Europoort refinery has
been contracted out to Fabricom
GTI. The contract awarded

involved the construction of a

new 60m diameter external
floating roof tank for storing Jet
Fuel, where the tank had to be
built according BS 2654 as now
replaced with EN 14015.

CTS40 seal at Air BP tank.

Tank seal required:

As per governing European
legislation this new external
floating roof tank required a new
double seal arrangement. CTS
tendered different seal designs,
also taking into consideration that
rain water penetration should be
minimal and the tank shell would
be completely coated internally
as well.
To reduce wearing impact of the
seal arrangement during the
travelling up and down of the
external floating roof it was
decided to install a double CTS40
compression plate seal in
stainless steel. It is equipped with
a skirt penetrating the product
stored in the direct vicinity of the
tank shell, resulting in a liquid
mounted and very effective seal
arrangement.
Despite the bad weather
conditions during the
construction period in November
2005 the seal was completely
installed in just 7 working days,
allowing Fabricom GTI to continue
the project by finalising their
scope of work and to water test
the tank early January 2006.

CTS

Newsletter

Issued:

February

2006

Multiple drain lines:

Draining capacity for external
floating roofs is of paramount
importance. This to ensure long
term integrity of the roof, and to
reduce corrosive effects of
rainwater present on the roof.
For the double deck floating roof
involved the design involved 3
drain lines. These drain lines are
based on using carbon steel
piping, in combination with
pivoting hose elements. CTS
quoted the Drainmaster drain
elements, based on a hose able
to deal with 100% aromatics in a
diameter of 6.
Special in the Drainmaster design
is the full box structure for the
pivoting part of the drain line,
resulting in a very reliable and
durable pivot for tank drain
systems.
Every individual Drainmaster pivot
element is pressure tested prior
to shipment, so its integrity and
tightness is proven prior to
installation. Other than standard
swivels, Drainmaster drain

CTS Drain provision in Air BP tank.

elements have no vulnerable

bearings nor rotating seals. This
results in a product with a

maximum long term integrity,

without any preventive
maintenance required.

Your distributor:

W W W. C A R G O T R A N S F E R . N E T

Offices:
Coventrystraat 2
3047 AD Rotterdam
The Netherlands

SYSTEMS

AND

Tel.:
Fax:
E-mail:
Website:

+31 (0)10 - 2622160

+31 (0)10 - 2622190
info@cargotransfer.net
www.cargotransfer.net

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