July 2008

Strainstall Ops install two strain gauge systems on new LNG terminal The North Adriatic LNG terminal will be a major import terminal positioned off the north-eastern coast of Italy, 17km offshore in 30m of water, between Venice and Punta Delia Maestra in Rovigo.  The terminal will provide the Italian gas market with LNG supplied from Qatar from April 2008 and is required to meet a consumer demand that is projected to rise by 50% in the next decade.  Italy will be able to rely on the delivery of around 6.4 billion cubic metres of natural gas a year for the next 25 years. The $900m terminal will receive LNG ships nine miles offshore every three days, and from there regasify and transmit the gas to an onshore metering station where it will enter the Italian grid.  The reception terminal consists of a Gravity Base Structure (GBS) which is a type of artificial island measuring 180m x 88m x 48m, and is the first of its kind in the world. The GBS will house two large LNG storage tanks made from 9% nickel steel, each weighing 4,800t with a storage capacity of 250,000m³. Skanska Whessoe Ltd of Darlington in the UK designed the tanks and contracted Strainstall Ops to provide and install the two groups of strain gauges. The first group was required during hydraulic and pneumatic testing of the tanks in order to monitor the stresses on the internal members.  Strain gauges were installed on the internal cross members and brasing, and the tests were carried out over a 16 day period during which time all the data was collected on an acquisition system supplied by Strainstall. The second group of strain gauges were installed on the roof areas and were used to monitor the stresses experienced during the initial cooling of the vessels (to approximately -160ºc) before the LNG is supplied to the tanks.  They will also provide continuous monitoring of the roof stresses during the service life of the tanks, with the signals from the strain gauges being conditioned and routed directly into the client's data acquisition system. 

The two LNG storage tanks being assembled in Algeciras in Spain 

Strainstall supply load cells to super yacht

 Strainstall have recently supplied four load cells to the super yacht 'Kokomo'.  Built in New Zealand, the 51.7 metre flybridge sloop combines superior performance with comfort and a classic appearance.  The layout includes owner's stateroom and four guest staterooms.  The captain and crew have five cabins between them with a large separate crew mess. The load cells were installed to measure the loads in the sails, which allows the most efficient sail position to be calculated, resulting in optimal speed.  The system has proved so successful that a similar system was installed on a second super yacht, the 'Red Dragon', in November.  A further order is also expected for 'Mondango' which will be delivered later in the year. 

The Kokomo super yacht 

Strainstall supply two large load cells to China 

Strainstall have recently supplied two 1500 tonne compressive load cells to Oil State Industries Inc.  The load cells will be fitted to a 3000 tonne test machine destined for China.  The test machine has the capacity to simulate typical and extreme service loadings on a variety of structures, for the purposes of product assessment, prototype development, generation of design data and validation of analytical models. The load cell bodies, each weighing 1.5 tonnes, were 'free issued' by the customer.  Due to their weight, a special forklift had to be hired in to move them around.  Strainstall then gauged each body with two separate bridges.  Protection for the bridges was provided by two thick rubber bands retained in place by a stainless steel cover kit.  Bolted to the cover is a junction box with separate sockets for each bridge. Calibration was done on Strainstall's new 1700 tonne test machine, achieving a linearity of between 0.2 and 0.5% of rated load.  Finally the load cells were given five coats of primer paint plus two top coats of 'pillar box' red.

Load cell in Cowes workshop 

Bridge Testing System for India

 Strainstall Ops have recently sold a comprehensive Bridge Testing System to Cintec International, for use by their Indian subsidiary.  Cintec are suppliers of 'Archtec', which is a specialist system for strengthening masonry arch bridges.  It is already widely used in the UK and they have had significant interest in the technique in India. Cintec's consultants Gifford had engaged Strainstall around 4 years ago to undertake some validation tests on a road bridge over a disused railway, where strain and displacement were monitored before and after strengthening.  Gifford have developed some complex computer models that are used in the strengthening design and the purpose of the testing at the time was to confirm the predictions of the models. As part of the first contract won in India for provision of 'Archtec', Cintec were required to test two bridges before and after strengthening.  Strainstall designed and assembled a comprehensive testing system using our own 'Strainsoft Acquire' software.  The system has a dynamic acquisition unit for displacement, strain and acceleration.  A separate static datalogger is used for strain in the masonry via vibrating wire strain gauges.  An important part of the commission was the training given to the Indian Engineers.  Ali Assejev spent a couple of weeks in India showing them how to set up and operate the equipment, and Ali led the pre-strengthening tests on two bridges.  The photo shows that the work conditions were a little different from the normal UK railway practice - the railway in the picture was open to trains! 

Testing on-track in India 

Strainstall supply Berth Management System to new Mexican LNG terminal 

Strainstall has just shipped a complete Berth Management System and Quick Release Hooks to a new LNG terminal that is being constructed on a 400 acre site at Costa Azul, Baja California in Mexico.  Due for completion in 2008 and with the capacity to process 1 billion ft³ (7.5 million tonnes) of natural gas per day, the new terminal will give immediate access to the deep coastal waters. The installation of a dedicated gas supply to Mexico/Southern USA is considered essential to accommodate major growth in both industrial and commercial businesses and to fuel new power plants to produce cost effective energy supplies for the growing population. The Strainstall package will assist the mooring master by providing comprehensive surveillance of mooring and vessel related parameters during approach to the berth and while moored, by monitoring the speed of approach, mooring loads, weather conditions, oceanographic factors and detect any drift off.

Costa Azul terminal under construction 

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