Millwright Project Case Study
Food Processing Plant Wastewater Tank Leak
Food Processing Plant Wastewater Tank Leak
A food processing plant was experiencing an issue with a 90′ diameter open-top silo tank wastewater tank. The tank is used to stage dirty process wastewater before transfer to a water treatment facility.
The Problem.
The tank had a small puncture hole toward the bottom. The tank, a porcelain exterior shell over a steel inner lining, made the repair impossible without first draining it entirely.
The hole created a continuous leak causing environmental contamination and the potential to cause additional on-site and extensive contamination damage to the surrounding area.
The Wheelhouse Solution.
Wheelhouse Industrial provided a solution to repair the hole in the tank quickly and efficiently, minimizing downtime and disruption to plant production. We arrived at the site shortly after getting the call, where our team conducted an on-site assessment. Our crew then drained the tank in preparation for the repair, taking the wastewater to a nearby water treatment facility for proper disposal.
The next day, the team prepared the tank for repair by removing a section of the porcelain outer coating to access the steel underneath. We fabricated a 6″x6″x1/4″ curved stainless steel plate to fit the contour of the tank. Our crew then sandblasted and roughed up the steel tank surface to prep it for repair. We also built a ‘heat house’ around the repair area to warm the surface metal for the repair the next morning.
The team attached the new plate to the tank using Belzona (epoxy) and applied strapping around the tank’s circumference while the Belzona set up. The patch was tested, and the tank was back in full operation.
