Two years after McInnis Cement built a Providence, Rhode Island, cement-storage facility, the company was ready to grow again.
 
McInnis was utilizing a 30,000-tonne flat storage warehouse at the site, but ships couldn’t be offloaded while reclaiming from the warehouse, so greater operational flexibility was key in phase two.
 
Dome Technology completed construction of its storage dome for McInnis in 2019, and McInnis filled the dome for the first time in January 2020. The DomeSilo stands 134 feet in diameter with a storage capacity of 40,000 metric tonnes, and McInnis has continued to utilize its flat storage as well. To maximize the terminal’s abilities, McInnis selected a barge unloader rated at 800 metric tonnes per hour.
 
 
 
Dome Technology executed a prime contract directly with McInnis for the dome storage, structural steel and mechanical work for pneumatic transport and reclaim of the stored cement. That work required installing a truck lane, steel storage silo, DomeSilo, structural-steel convey piping support, stair platform with connecting structural-steel bridge to the dome apex and a reclaim tunnel. The team also installed an FLSmidth Ful-Floor reclaim system.
 
Piping on the loading side needed to be routed up and over the existing warehouse; it was then anchored to a structural stair tower as it climbed to the dome apex. Load bearing on the warehouse wasn’t an option, so a truss and structural steel carry the weight.
 
Part of keeping operating costs low came from the system’s ability to keep product flowing. A dome with automatic reclaim allows McInnis to offload a ship while simultaneously reclaiming — no need to pay demurrage costs.
 
 
 
Why a dome complements cement storage?
 
Selecting the best cement storage is a weighty matter. Moisture destroys product quality. Poor handling can in result in compromised and unusable cement. Well-integrated and high-performing transport and reclaim systems are key. Companies can counter concerns by choosing a dome for bulk storage.
 
* More storage, smaller footprint: with domes, customers can store more product in a smaller footprint, stacking it deeper and requiring less property at the site than comparable flat storage. Compared with a concrete silo, the dome allows more storage in the same footprint and height due to the fact that the cement can be stored inside the entire dome structure, all the way to the apex.
 
* Firm foundations: no matter how heavy the load, Dome Technology can customize a foundation system to support it. Based on geotechnical analysis and an understanding of cement, the team provides innovative foundation options for an overall economical system.
 
* Waterproof membrane and insulation: domes are completely waterproof, and their insulated nature also prevents heating and cooling of the walls and air inside, protecting product integrity by preventing condensation.
 
* Material-handling solutions: how fast product moves translates into how fast a company makes money. In addition to dome construction, Dome Technology specializes in and has pioneered cost-competitive handling systems — not just those moving product within the structure but loading and reclaim systems too.
 
* Experience matters: Dome Technology has more experience providing cement storage than any other builder in the United States. Cement companies who don’t want to settle for systems that work only for today are choosing to invest in systems for the future, and that’s what Dome Technology delivers.
 
Source: Dry Cargo International (November 2020)