Renovation of 20-year-old sprinkler tank at sawmill
Suddenly, disaster strikes. This time it was not a fire, thankfully, but a sprinkler tank that had rusted and was leaking water. For obvious reasons, good fire protection is a high priority in a sawmill. So how can a situation like this arise?
Ulf Johansson of AJ Floor Solutions explains: "The interval for internal inspection of sprinkler tanks is 10 years. The problem is that once a tank starts to rust, the process is fast."
The sprinkler tank at Vida Sågverk in Tranemo was installed in 2002 - in other words, it was just about time for a new inspection when it was punctured.
Repair, build new or renovate?
Börje Arvidsson and his colleagues made a simple, temporary repair to ensure fire protection. But it was quickly discovered that it was not possible to determine whether the repair would last 24 hours, 24 months or 5 years.
Installing a new tank is not easy, so Börje Arvidsson looked into other options. The tank supplier put him in touch with AJ Floor Solutions, which had developed a method for renovating sheet steel sprinkler tanks. The concept is a complete solution that involves covering the inside of the tank with epoxy.
Ulf Johansson of AJ Floor Solutions notes that there are quite a few sprinkler tanks around the country that are many years old and would benefit from an inspection. "By addressing the problem in time, you can ensure that your fire protection will work on the day it is needed."
Full renovation in 10 days
After taking stock of the situation, AJ Floor Solutions promised to complete the work in 10 days - a schedule they kept. To begin with, the tank must be emptied. Once inside the tank, it was found that the walls were covered with rust and a mass of rust flakes had accumulated on the bottom of the tank. AJ Floor Solutions blasted the walls inside the tank. Next, first primer and then epoxy were applied to the walls.
"The tank was in a building outside the factory, so operations were not affected during the renovation. However, a sawmill cannot be without fire protection for 10 days. The insurance company requires us to have water for at least 30 minutes, so we needed to find a spare tank that met that requirement and could be connected during the renovation."says Börje.
The renovation basically provides a new tank
Despite the hassle of the spare tank, Börje recommends the solution. "The result of the renovation is basically a new tank inside the old one. The problem of rust is solved for good and the tank will last your lifetime as well as mine."he says when asked if he is satisfied with the result.
He concludes: "Even if we were to build a new, larger sprinkler tank, the refurbished tank will be an additional water source for the fire brigade to connect their cars to. This is something that may become a requirement in the future. Anyway, it's good - in a fire you can never have too much water!"