Going Deep: DN Tanks
May 29, 2015
Grand Prairie, TX
Teupen USA compact track lifts have rolled into a lot of unusual spaces over the years. Among the most unusual is the bottom of a thermal energy storage tank.
Teupen USA compact track lifts have rolled into a lot of unusual spaces over the years. Among the most unusual is the bottom of a thermal energy storage tank.
While we pride ourselves on providing flexible solutions, our client DN Tanks really put our versatility to the test. This national firm specializes in the design and construction of pre-stressed concrete liquid storage tanks. Piping is installed inside their thermal energy storage tanks, sometimes at more than 50 feet off the ground. Not only is it challenging to reach the piping location, the entrance to the tank is limited to a small access hatch just a few feet wide.
Prior to contacting Teupen USA, DN Tanks had utilized scaffolding to access the top of their empty tanks. The process is painstaking and time-consuming. It requires craning scaffolding through the access hatch, one small bundle at a time. The scaffolding is constructed on the tank floor and takes up a significant amount of space due to the overall height of the scaffolding platform. Once the piping installation is complete and the scaffolding is dismantled, the pieces must be transported out of the tank in the same slow, laborious way they were brought in.
"While it's true that scaffolding can be effective for smaller jobs, we were looking for other solutions for bigger projects," says Chris Brown, Project Manager for DN Tanks. "I got in touch with Teupen USA because I'd heard their compact track lifts could fit through narrow openings like the hatch on our tanks. And the lift doesn't take up room on the tank floor. Scaffolding covers a lot of space and can be difficult to work around and to move from one area to another on casters. With a Teupen lift, we don't have to worry about space and navigation issues."
Brown has utilized Teupen equipment, including the TL69, TL51 and TL59 machines, to install piping in thermal energy tanks in Texas and Virginia. "It was pretty amazing to see the Teupen lift up on the crane, fitting right through that narrow hatch on the dome," he explains. "Once the unit was on the floor inside the tank, the install team was able to get to work in just a few minutes."
By partnering with Teupen USA on these projects, DN Tanks was able to save time and reduce labor costs. "For these larger jobs where we have a good alternative to scaffolding, it's a pleasure working with Teupen," Brown says. "They have excellent customer service. I was dealing directly with Scott Barfield, the company's regional manager. He came in to develop the lift plan with us and remained personally involved to make sure every step went as smoothly and seamlessly as it could."
Everyone at Teupen USA appreciates comments like these and clients like DN Tanks. We are proud that our superior product engineering and in-field experience give our rental partners and end users real-time, value-added solutions to the most challenging aerial access concerns.