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New One-Million Water Tank in Place Atop Spring Hill

Hour photo / Erik Trautmann The First Taxing District's $7 million project to replace the water tower and pumping station at 34 Grandview Ave. is well underway. The project will also include repainting of the old three-million water tank.

Hour photo / Erik Trautmann The First Taxing District’s $7 million project to replace the water tower and pumping station at 34 Grandview Ave. is well underway. The project will also include repainting of the old three-million water tank.

NORWALK — Contractors worked atop the newly built one-million gallon water tank on Spring Hill on Friday afternoon, part of a nearly $9 million project by the First District Water Department to boost water pressure and reliability.

“The three reasons we’re doing this: water quality, reliability of the system and fire-flow protection,” said Dominick M. DiGangi, First Taxing District general manager. “A water system does two things: you drink from it and it puts fires out.”

The $8.8 million project, now nearly a year underway, will replace the existing 100,000-gallon water tank, a 108-foot high, 35-foot wide structure built in 1939, with a million gallon tank that stands 121 feet high and spans 74 feet in width.

The new tank, now gray metal in color, is visible from both Interstate 95 and the Merritt Parkway.

DiGangi said welding on the new tank just passed inspection and painting will begin in several weeks. The plan is to paint the lower part of the tank dark blue and its upper portion light blue to blend with the sky.

The 100,000-gallon tank will be dismantled and removed. The existing three-million gallon tank will remain and be painted blue.

The project also will install $50,000 of landscaping, including trees to partially screen the water tanks, as well as new sidewalks and curbing along the front of the property on Grandview Avenue. A new fence is already up.

Three contractors are engaged on the project. Caldwell Tanks, of Louisville, Ky., is building the new water tank. M. Rondano, Inc., of Norwalk, has largely installed more than a mile of new water mains throughout the area, according to the Taxing District.

C.H. Nickerson & Co., Inc., of Torrington, is building the new pumping station, into which two modern electric pumps and a third, diesel-powered backup pump, have been installed.

DiGangi said the new pump system guards against potential lengthy power outages in the event of a hurricane or other disaster.

“These pumps will run off our generator which sits behind the building,” DiGangi said. But “if for some reason, the generator doesn’t work, this is a diesel pump. It doesn’t need the generator. All it needs is fuel, and there’s a fuel tank that will be sitting up in the back that will run this system.”

As such, he said, the First District Water Department could provide “maybe half of the city’s water” in the event of a power outage.

DiGangi isn’t the only person thinking about hurricanes.

“If we ever have a hurricane, or anything like that, and that (tank) gives way, we’re gone,” said Spruce Street resident Sheila Boccanfuso. “If that thing ever gives way and the water comes gushing down, we’re gone all around here. I can’t understand why they would want to build something that big.”

Boccanfuso said neighborhood residents believe the project is being undertaken for Norwalk Hospital and new housing being built on West Avenue.

The First Taxing District Water Department serves 40,000 people in Norwalk, including Norwalk Hospital. DiGangi said hospital officials have been “terrific” in coordinating with the Taxing District to install the new water mains in the neighborhood.

Hospital officials could not be reached Friday afternoon to comment on the project.

DiGangi said the project is adhering to the city’s work rules and noise ordinance. Still, he acknowledges that the work has been disruptive to the neighborhood, particularly along Magnolia Avenue, where lengthy sections of water mains were installed.

“There’s a lot going on. Neighbors have had trucks run over the lawn, a little bit of the noise,” DiGangi said.

At the same time, DiGangi says those same residents had a say in the project and will benefit from the improvements.

“The people who live here were the ones who were making the motions and doing the approvals when the project got funded,” DiGangi said. “So they have got a little bit of a vested interest of it.”

Moreover, the Taxing District secured a 2-percent loan from state to fund the project, he said.

“That’s a significant savings to the ratepayers,” DiGangi said.

Officials hope to see the project completed in November. That means having the new water tank and pumping station up and running, and having the neighborhood cleaned up.

“In late summer and early fall, we’re going to mill and overlay all these roads that we’ve touched,” DiGangi said.

** Source: Written by Robert Koch, The Hour

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PARIS TN: Springville Water Tower Shell Now In Place

A crane from Western Crane Services of Bowling Green, Ky., raises the final, 30-ton piece of the Springville Utility District’s 105-foot water tower into place Thursday afternoon.

A crane from Western Crane Services of Bowling Green, Ky., raises the final, 30-ton piece of the Springville Utility District’s 105-foot water tower into place Thursday afternoon.

A gigantic piece of the puzzle for the Springville Utility District was lowered carefully into place Thursday afternoon on Poplar Grove Road.

While SUD board members watched nearby, a crane from Western Crane Services set the 30-ton top section of the district’s new water tower gently onto its base on Poplar Grove Road.

The section was then attached to the base by a crew from Caldwell Tank Services, contractor for the project.

According to project engineer Don Lancaster of Gresham, Smith and Partners, the company will now begin four days of welding to make the interior of the 150,000-gallon tank water-tight.

In addition to providing extra water pressure, the tank will hold water reserves for the district’s customers in the event the supply from the South Paris Water District should be interrupted.

“They’re using about thirty thousand gallons a day, so worst-case scenario, this should give them five days of water,” Lancaster said.

Once the welds pass an independent inspection, the tower will be painted — a process expected to take three weeks.

When finished in early to mid-August, the tower will be light blue, with “Springville Utility District” in cobalt blue letters across its face. Rising to a height of 105 feet, the tower’s water level will be about 93 feet above the ground when completed.

“They’ve just come a lot further than I thought they would in one day,” said Lowell Wilson, board chairman.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the legs of the tower had reached a height of 40 feet. The remainder was done Thursday, after the 130-ton capacity crane arrived from Bowling Green.

“This is another milestone, and a long time coming,” Scott Steel, board member, said. “A lot of residents out there will be very happy.

**Source: Written by Glenn Tanner, Post-Intelligencer 

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Caldwell Tanks Opens Des Moines Office

Press Release

Contact: Carter Spoelstra                                                                FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Regional Sales Manager                                                                  8:00 A.M. EDT, May 12, 2014
Email: CSpoelstra@CaldwellTanks.com

                                 CALDWELL TANKS OPENS DES MOINES OFFICE

LOUISVILLE, KY, May 12, 2014 — In an effort to better serve our customers, Caldwell Tanks, Inc. has opened a Des Moines regional office in May 2014. This office will support all Caldwell products, particularly as they relate to the Water, Oil and Gas markets. The office is strategically located in the center of the Midwest at:

6165 NW 86th Street
Suite 212
Johnston, IA 50131
Phone: (515) 238-8206
Fax: (502) 962-6275

About Caldwell Tanks, Inc.
Headquartered in Louisville, KY, Caldwell Tanks, Inc. has been building innovative, customized storage tanks and vessels throughout North America since 1887. Caldwell is the industry-leading provider of liquid containment structures including elevated storage tanks, ground storage tanks, industrial field-erected tanks and vertical concrete storage structures. Caldwell also has divisions for tank asset preservation programs, power augmentation and coatings solutions.
www.caldwelltanks.com
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New Firehouse Taking Shape Along Missouri 179

Workers from Caldwell Tanks of Louisville, Ky., stand 100 feet off the ground as they pour concrete and shake it down into the form of a 1.5-million gallon water holding tank adjacent to JCFD’s new station 3 off Rock Hill Road on the city’s west side. Inset below, a few dozen yards away, installers place siding on the south end of the new fire station. Contractors are waiting for a break in the weather so they can pour the concrete drive.

Workers from Caldwell Tanks of Louisville, Ky., stand 100 feet off the ground as they pour concrete and shake it down into the form of a 1.5-million gallon water holding tank adjacent to JCFD’s new station 3 off Rock Hill Road on the city’s west side.

A new Jefferson City Fire Station No. 3 is about 70 percent complete.

Located just off Rock Hill Road, the $2.2 million facility will replace the Industrial Drive station, which was built in 1966. The new firehouse will feature separate men’s and women’s housing, and can serve as a backup location for the 911 center. Officials say that having this location should reduce response times by an average of more than two minutes.

The funds to build the station come primarily from the city’s half-cent capital improvements sales tax.

Jefferson City Interim Fire Chief Jason Turner said they anticipate taking possession of the property in late May or early June.

“One of the most important things is that this will be a hardened structure, providing for the safety of our firefighters in case of tornadoes,” he said. “None of our other stations have this. It also has a pull through bay so or trucks won’t have to back in off the street they can just pull around back and drive through to get inside.”

This station will house an engine company and a ladder company and Turner said there should be five to six people per shift around the clock at the station.

“This will adapt to the city’s growth for the next 30-40 years instead of just getting by with what we’ve got today,” he said. “It’s long overdue.”

Turner said the old station three on Industrial will probably be put up for sale once they get everything moved into the new station.

Missouri American Water also is building a water tower on the site. Company officials said it’s a 1.5 million gallon tank and will be 160 feet tall. The new tower should add storage capacity to the company’s water system and help the system maintain pressure when large amounts of water are used in instances such as fighting fires. The tower will also replace an underground water storage tank at the company’s West Main Street Plant that is 80-100 years old.

Work on the tank should be completed this fall. It’s about a $3.6 million investment in Jefferson City’s water system.

** Source: Written by Jeff Haldiman, News Tribune

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An Introduction to Aluminum Internal Floating Roofs

           Internal floating roofs (IFR) first found their place in the oil industry to conserve product and prevent fires. Later, they were required for controlling hydrocarbon emissions into the atmosphere, as regulated by the U.S. EPA. An IFR tank has a floating deck below a fixed roof. The floating deck rises and falls along with the liquid level, leaving no room for a vapor zone. Depending on the product and the plant environment, floating roofs are readily available in steel or aluminum. Fiber reinforced plastic can also be an option in highly corrosive environments.

            For most applications, an IFR is the most cost-effective solution to regulating vapor emissions. However, they have their own limitations and disadvantages. One disadvantage is they reduce the tank’s working capacity by limiting the maximum product depth (freeboard) and may also require a minimum product depth (heel). IFRs are not suitable with unstable products and the EPA regulations specify a floating roof cannot be used to control vapor emissions if the product vapor pressure is in excess of 11 pounds per square inch absolute (759 millibars). Additionally, the bubbling of unstable liquids can produce enough vapor pressure beneath the floating roof to damage the roof itself or the perimeter seal, causing failure of the floating roof.

            Among various types of IFRs available, aluminum internal floating roofs are widely used due to their cost effectiveness. There are two basic types: full contact honeycomb-sandwich and skin and pontoon type. As the name suggests, a honeycomb-sandwich roof is in full contact with the product with a honeycomb hex-core sandwiched between aluminum sheeting. Similarly, a pontoon roof has an aluminum skin and roof supported on pontoons and a structural grid. This type of roof leaves some saturated vapor space beneath the skin.

            API 650 Annex H provides minimum requirements for IFRs. Exceeding the minimum requirements may be required to meet operating conditions and can increase longevity. The standards of design need to be set based on system requirements and a cost benefit analysis for the durability of the roof. The perimeter seal is a very susceptible part, which demands precise design and detailing. The seal must be suitable for the expected service, resistant to the wear and tear due to cycles of movement along the tank shell, and possess low sliding friction for proper roof function. Aluminum has low tolerance to turbulence due to its low density and is another design aspect that needs consideration in overall design of the tank system. In conjunction with API 650, the designer must also refer to the “Aluminum Association Aluminum Design Manual” for allowable design strengths for the various grades of aluminum, minimum safety factors for various applications and design formulas.

            Corrosion of aluminum can be a cause of concern depending on the product and tank environment. Presence of salt, chlorides or sulfur can cause aluminum oxidation, and a pH under four or over eight can also cause similar corrosion. Galvanic corrosion also can be triggered between the tank and the floating roof in steel tanks. Corrosion of the aluminum skin can cause compounding problems and it is difficult to detect in hydrocarbon tanks. Any damages due to corrosion in the skin will cause vapor to leak, causing emissions or accumulation of product on top of the skin causing it to sink in some instances. Even a small pinhole due to corrosion can let the product enter the pontoons causing maintenance concerns. While skin and pontoon type roofs are widely used for their cost effectiveness and constructability, they are less forgiving to any lapses in construction details.

            Other alternatives like tank blanketing can be considered for emission control; nitrogen is one of the most common gases used for blanketing. If the blanket pressure needed to reduce the maximum vapor concentration allowed by regulations does not exceed the design pressure of the tank, blanketing can be a viable option. Understandably, it may not be the best option for atmospheric tanks.

            For more information on this topic, contact Aditya Atluri at aatluri@caldwelltanks.com or call (502) 964-3361.
            For more information about the National Institute for Storage Tank Management, visit www.nistm.org or call (800) 827-3515.

** Published in BIC Magazine, February 2014

 

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‘Hunger Games’ Filming Resuming at Caldwell Tanks

Hunger Games 1-10-14
Filming has resumed at Caldwell Tanks in Newnan for “The Hunger Games 3: Mockingjay.”

A film crew began building the set in an unused Caldwell Tanks manufacturing building on East Broad Street in early November to prepare for filming. The first shoot began on Dec. 18, which only lasted two days. On Wednesday and Thursday, there was film crew activity again, though it is unknown how long they plan to film.

The hugely successful movie franchise released the second film in the series, “Catching Fire,” in November and has amassed more than $407 million at the box office, with a very high 89 percent rating on critic-aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes. Just weeks before the release of “Catching Fire,” the film crew was at Caldwell Tanks building a coliseum set in the largest of the warehouse buildings.

“Hunger Games 3” is poised to become one of the highest-profile movies filmed in Coweta County, as the book series and films have turned into a cultural phenomenon, much like “The Walking Dead” has with filming in Senoia and the Coweta area.

The set at Caldwell is closed to the public.

**Source: Written by Bradley Hartsell, The Newnan Times-Herald

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‘Hunger Games 3: Mockingjay’ Begins Filming at Caldwell Tanks

Crew trailers fill the lot Wednesday at Caldwell Tanks in downtown Newnan where filming was beginning for “The Hunger Games 3: Mockingjay.”

Crew trailers fill the lot Wednesday at Caldwell Tanks in downtown Newnan where filming was beginning for “The Hunger Games 3: Mockingjay.”

 

Filming began Wednesday at Caldwell Tanks in downtown Newnan for “The Hunger Games 3: Mockingjay.”

Police officers and security guards lined the perimeter of the complex to dissuade any trespassing on the blockbuster film set. Inside the gate, the grounds of Caldwell Tanks were filled with trailers. Activity beyond security personnel was not apparent, with the set being indoors.

The hugely successful movie franchise released the second film in the series, “Catching Fire,” last month and has already amassed more than $350 million at the box office.

Just weeks before the release of “Catching Fire,” the film crew was at Caldwell Tanks on East Broad Street building a coliseum set in the largest of the manufacturing buildings. The filming is on schedule, as Caldwell Tanks employee Gary Walls told The Newnan Times-Herald in November that the filming was set for late December.

“Hunger Games 3” is poised to become one of the highest-profile movies filmed in Coweta County, as the book series-turned-films has turned into a cultural phenomenon, much like AMC cable television network’s “The Walking Dead” has for the area.

The set is closed to the public.

**Source: Written by Bradley Hartsell, The Newnan Times-Herald

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Caldwell Tanks, Inc. Awarded Two Tank of the Year Awards from STI/SPFA

Contact: Kevin Gallagher, P.E.Email: KGallagher@CaldwellTanks.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE12:00 P.M. EDT, APRIL 23, 2013

 

LOUISVILLE, KY APRIL 23, 2013:  Louisville-based Caldwell Tanks, Inc. was awarded the Elevated Tank of the Year as well as the Specialty Storage Tank of the Year by the Steel Tank Institute/Steel Plate Fabricators Association for 2012.

Caldwell constructed (2) 3,000,000 gallon Composite Elevated Tanks for Loudoun Water in Virginia to win the Elevated Tank of the Year, marking the first time a Composite Elevated Tank has won the award.  The Dulles South project, at 6,000,000 gallons, is the largest elevated water tank project on a single site in the country.  The project was featured on the History Channel’s “Modern Marvels” episode “Under Pressure”.  Additional recognitions are extended to Loudoun Water and to Hazen and Sawyer, Environmental Engineers and Scientists.

Caldwell constructed twelve Molten Salt Thermal Energy Storage Tanks at the Solana Generating Station in Gila Bend, AZ to win the Specialty Storage Tank of the Year.  The tanks were 122’ in diameter and 50’ tall with a total capacity of 36,000,000 gallons of combined storage.  They include over 20,000,000 pounds of Carbon Steel, 10,000 linear feet of pipe and 60,000 linear feet of structural beams custom made from carbon steel plate product.

About Caldwell Tanks, Inc.

Headquartered in Louisville, KY, Caldwell Tanks, Inc. has been building innovative, customized storage tanks and vessels throughout North America since 1887.  Caldwell is the industry-leading provider of liquid containment structures including elevated storage tanks, ground storage tanks, industrial field-erected tanks and vertical concrete storage structures.  Caldwell also has divisions for tank asset preservation programs, power augmentation and coatings solutions.

www.caldwelltanks.com

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Caldwell Constructing Tank in Mount Olivet

A Towering Achievement

Towering 150 feet over the southern roadway into Mount Olivet, the new $1.1 million water tower will hold 100,000 gallons of water for Mount Olivet Water Company use.

Towering 150 feet over the southern roadway into Mount Olivet, the new $1.1 million water tower will hold 100,000 gallons of water for Mount Olivet Water Company use.

MOUNT OLIVET | Just shy of a year after Gov. Steve Beshear visited Mount Olivet to present a ceremonial check to begin construction, a new water tower can be seen along Kentucky 165, south of the city.

The style of a tank on four legs is a change from the silo-style old water tank.

Caldwell Tanks of Louisville is building the tower, said Jeff Reynolds of HMB Engineering.

Once the legs were in place, getting the tank into place took a crane, he said.

“They go up pretty fast,” he said.

“They just brought in a crane and lifted (the tank) right up there,” said Mount Olivet Mayor Linda Reed. “They have all been very easy to work with.”

Funding for the $1.1 million project came from a Community Development block grant of $500,000, an Appalachian Regional Development grant of $150,000 and $350,000 from a Kentucky Infrastructure Authority loan.

State Rep. Tom McKee, along with State Sen. Robin Webb, had been lobbied by local officials for funding to replace the 53-year-old Mount Olivet Water Company tower.

When completed, the 150-foot-tall tower will hold 100,000 gallons of water, Reynolds said.

Low water pressure has been a problem in the community, including limiting proper water access for the school and courthouse complex, officials said.

Though construction is expected to be completed by Nov. 16, full operation may not happen until the beginning of December, Reynolds said.

“When it is done being built it will have to be filled with water and the pump station lines have to be completed,” he said.

The new tower will be painted a teardrop blue and the city name will be painted on the side, he said.

The old tank will be demolished once the new one is on line, officials said.

“This new infrastructure will help Mount Olivet reach its full potential. A reliable water supply is crucial to a healthy, growing community,” said Webb in 2012. “I am thankful to Governor Beshear, the Department for Local Government, Kentucky Infrastructure Authority and Appalachian Regional Commission for partnering to make this needed project a reality.”

**Source: Written by Wendy Mitchell, The Ledger Independent

 

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Concentrated Solar Power Gets A Huge Boost

Photo: Abengoa Solar

Photo: Abengoa Solar

Abengoa announced that Solana, the world´s largest parabolic trough plant with a total installed capacity of 280 gross megawatts (MW) and also the first solar power plant in the United States with thermal energy storage, has successfully passed commercial operation tests. This milestone marks a major accomplishment for Abengoa and the Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) industry.

Solana is the first solar plant in the United States with a thermal energy storage system that is able to generate electricity for six hours without the concurrent use of the solar field. This is a turning point for renewable energy in this the United States, serving as a tangible demonstration that solar energy can be stored and dispatched upon demand.

Solana, located near Gila Bend and about 70 miles southwest of Phoenix, Arizona, began construction in 2010 and, on Monday, October 7, successfully fulfilled production forecasts required to-date and testing for commercial operation. These tests included operating at the turbine’s full capacity while charging the thermal storage system, continuing to produce electricity after the sun goes down, and starting up the plant and producing six hours of electricity using only the thermal storage system. These tests successfully demonstrated the various operation modes of the plant’s operation.

Abengoa’s first utility-scale solar plant in the United States employs parabolic trough technology. This technology consists of parabolic shaped mirrors mounted on structures that track the sun and concentrate the sun’s heat, later transforming water into steam and powering a conventional steam turbine. This mature technology has additional value since the heat can also be stored and used to produce clean electricity after the sun goes down or during a transitory period.

This ability to generate electricity when needed, or dispatchability, is one of the unique characteristics of concentrating solar power versus other types of renewables.  The six hours of clean energy generated by Solana’s thermal storage system without the use of the solar field will satisfy Arizona’s peak electricity demands during the summer evenings and early nighttime hours. Dispatchability also eliminates intermittency issues that other renewables, such as wind and photovoltaics, contend with, providing stability to the grid and thus increasing the value of the energy generated by CSP.

Arizona Public Service (APS), the largest utility in Arizona, will purchase all of the electricity produced by the solar plant for 30 years through a power purchase agreement with Abengoa.

Solana will generate clean energy equivalent to that needed to power 70,000 households and will prevent about half a million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) from being emitted into the atmosphere per year. The construction of Solana led to the creation of more than 2,000 jobs and a national supply chain that spans 165 companies in 29 states.

The total investment of the plant is approximately two billion dollars and during financing, Solana received a federal loan guarantee for $1.45 billion from the United States Department of Energy Federal Loan Guarantee Program. This support made the construction of Solana possible, creating or maintaining thousands of jobs both in the building of the plant as well as those direct and indirect jobs in the supply chain, as well as providing the Southwest with clean, sustainable energy using innovative technology.

Abengoa currently has 1,223 MW of concentrating solar power in operation and 430 MW under construction. It is the largest CSP company in the world and one of the few that constructs and operates both solar tower and parabolic trough plants.

**Source: Written by Frank Andorka, Solar Power World

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