API 650 Tank Design & Engineering Support for Fabricators
Fabricating a large welded steel storage tank requires more than good fabrication capability. Where a tank is specified to API 650, the design must address a range of mechanical and structural requirements including shell thickness, roof design, wind and seismic loads, anchorage, nozzles, manholes and other tank-specific design considerations.
For fabrication and construction companies, maintaining this specialist engineering capability in-house may not always be practical.
Trang Imagineering works with tank fabricators, EPC contractors and construction companies to provide the engineering capability behind API 650 tank projects.
Supporting the Fabricator – Not Competing With Them
Our role is straightforward: you fabricate and construct the tank; Trang provides the engineering required to support it.
We can work as an extension of a fabricator's existing engineering and drafting team, providing specialist API 650 knowledge where required.
Depending on the project and the fabricator's own capabilities, Trang's scope can range from individual design calculations through to a complete engineering package.
This allows fabricators to pursue API 650 tank projects without necessarily maintaining specialist tank design capability internally.
API 650 Tank Engineering
Trang provides engineering for above-ground welded steel storage tanks designed in accordance with API 650.
Our engineering scope can include:
Design basis and API 650 compliance
Tank sizing and configuration
Shell course design and thickness calculations
Bottom and annular plate design
Fixed roof and supporting structure design
Wind and seismic assessment
Stability, uplift and overturning assessment
Tank anchorage and hold-down requirements
Nozzle and manhole reinforcement
External attachments and local loads
Access ladders, platforms and handrails
Foundation loads and civil/structural interfaces
Engineering calculations
General arrangement and design drawings
Review of fabrication and shop drawings
Engineering certification
Technical support during fabrication and construction
Because Trang provides Mechanical, Structural and Civil engineering capability within the one consultancy, we can also address many of the interfaces surrounding the tank rather than considering the tank shell in isolation.
Working With Your Existing Drafting and Fabrication Team
Not every fabricator requires the same level of support.
Some clients have established drafting departments capable of producing detailed fabrication drawings but require an engineer to establish the API 650 design and certify the resulting tank.
In this arrangement, Trang can provide the engineering calculations and design requirements, with the fabricator producing its own shop drawings using its preferred fabrication methods and detailing standards.
Trang can then review the drawings against the engineering design before fabrication.
For other projects, Trang can provide a more complete design and documentation package.
The division of responsibility can therefore be established around the capabilities of the fabricator and the requirements of the particular project.
Supporting EPC and Tendering Projects
API 650 tanks are often only one component of a much larger industrial or EPC project.
An EPC contractor may have extensive capability in process plant, piping, structural steel, mechanical equipment, fabrication and construction without maintaining specialist API 650 tank design expertise internally.
Trang can provide that specialist engineering capability as part of the project team.
We can become involved during the tender phase to assist with preliminary tank configuration, engineering requirements and scope definition, then continue into detailed design if the project proceeds.
This gives EPC contractors and fabricators access to specialist tank engineering when it is required, without needing to build and maintain that capability internally.
From Small Utility Tanks to Large Industrial Storage Tanks
API 650 is used across a broad range of industries and stored products, including:
Process and raw water
Diesel and fuel storage
Condensate
Mining and mineral processing liquids
Industrial process fluids
Chemical storage
Fire water
Agricultural and bulk liquid storage
As tank diameter, height and capacity increase, factors such as shell course design, wind stability, seismic loading, anchorage, roof structure and foundation loads become increasingly significant.
Large tanks can also involve substantial interaction between mechanical, structural and civil engineering disciplines.
Trang's multidisciplinary engineering capability allows these interfaces to be considered as part of the overall tank design.
Existing Tanks – API 653 Engineering Support
Our tank engineering capability is not limited to new tanks.
Trang also provides engineering support for existing storage tanks assessed under API 653, including modifications, repairs, remaining-life considerations, nozzle additions, structural changes and engineering assessment of existing tank components.
This can be particularly useful for fabricators and maintenance contractors undertaking tank repair or modification work where engineering input or certification is required.
An External API 650 Engineering Partner
For many fabrication companies, the most practical approach is not to develop an internal specialist tank engineering department.
Instead, Trang can operate as an external API 650 engineering partner, providing specialist design and certification when a project requires it while allowing the fabricator to retain control of fabrication, construction and its relationship with the end client.
This can range from engineering a single tank through to supporting a fabricator across multiple tank projects.
If your company has been asked to quote, fabricate or construct an API 650 storage tank and requires engineering support, Trang Imagineering can work with your team to define the engineering scope and develop the design package required for the project.