Williams Tank Relocation Part II

You'll have to forgive me. I'm not the habitual blogger I should be like that guy doing the AgroLiquid NCRS blog. This is one of the items that tends to hang towards the bottom on my list of priorities. Anyway, here is the latest and greatest in Williams. We're a little closer to having the remaining tanks moved to the new containment.

 

We didn't work late, we started early. As always, the wind wasn't agreeable so we were delayed a bit. We ended up starting early the next morning while the wind subsided for a couple hours but it didn't take long for it to pick back up. By around 9am, we were back to the "normal" 20-30 mph winds. I would definitely own a kite shop if I lived in Iowa.......or Kansas.

 You can't see it under the insulated tarp, but the last of the concrete was poured at this time as well.

This is the east end of the new containment with a few of the 12 tanks moved this time around.

The new/used scale is now complete with a scale house. This will be used to verify load weights before trucks leave the site. The scale was purchased from an excavation company in Michigan. It was dismantled, shipped on a flat bed and re-installed with success.

Of course before we left, we got to experience some minor snow mixed with yes.....more wind. We have a lot of work to do before the spring rush next year but who wouldn't want to spend time in Iowa during the winter months. 

Trying to beat Mother Nature

 

As the end of the year rapidly approaches, it's always hard to tell what kind of weather Mother Nature will throw our way from now until then. I'm optimistic that we'll complete the tanks in progress along with some concrete at a few sites that needs to be poured yet. My optimism isn't based on anything like achey joints or the way the trees look. I'm going on good old fashion intuition........or maybe I'm just naive. Here's where we are now.  

 

The 2 million gallon tank in Williams in nearly complete. At the time of this photo, they were working on the roof. Currently, they should be close to wrapping it up.

 Same tank, different angle. The last step off that ladder is a doozy.

 

The pumps are set and the hard pipe plumbing is installed for the Pro-Germinator and High-NRG-N. Testing and troubleshooting have been underway for the new truck load out system. The remaining tanks will be moved toward the end of this year.......weather permitting.

It looks a little crowded because it's being used as a warehouse also, but the truck load out building is complete. A closer look toward the elevated office will reveal the new load arms.

In Ashley, the second 500,000 gallon tank is almost finished. They are working on the roof at this time with the fittings, railings, and manways soon to follow.

Billings Tank Swap

I'm a little late with this, but better late than never. Two weeks ago in Billings we increased our storage capacity by swapping out (4) 21,000 gallon tanks for 30,000 gallon tanks. As you can see from the photos below tanks coming and tanks going. I always enjoy Billings during my short stays. Maybe someday I'll get to vacation in "God's Country", as Mike Kilzer puts it.

Site Manager, John Burkhart and Area Manager, Mike Kilzer were on site to assist with the tank swap. In this photo, I think Mike dropped his wedding ring or something and John helps him look for it.

 

 

 

Here is the site after the tanks have been swapped out. It looks more uniform now with the same size tanks which should appease all the OCD people out there.



Williams, IA Tank Move Phase 1

Williams was the hot spot for construction over the last month or so. We've added site lighting, signage, continued construction on a 2 million gallon tank and moved (24) 30,000 gallon tanks to the new containment. All this while continuing to supply customers with fertilizer through a very busy August and September. Hat's off to the guys at the sites for not breaking stride while we disrupt their daily activities with the site improvements.

 

In the last 4 weeks I've made a couple trips to Williams. Trip 1 was for the phase 1 tank move of 24 tanks. Trip 2 was to work on plumbing for those tanks.

 



 

As I pulled up to the site on trip one, I couldn't help but notice the new road side sign. Hopefully this will help distinguish our site from the coal company next door. For those who don't recognize the sign, it was re-purposed from the old office in St. Johns. I wonder if they figured that into our LEED points.

 

The cranes arrived the day before to get set up. The set up alone takes a couple hours so we didn't want to waste valuable time in the morning doing it. This is the larger of the 2 cranes used. It has a reach of 350'. However, we didn't need quite that much height for a 35' tank. This is set next to the new containment in front of the new load out building.

 

The second crane, which only has a 275' reach but is still adequate for this purpose, set up next to the old containment, which we will be de-comissioned and used for trailer parking in the future. So it was a beautiful morning with a little breeze to kick off the tank move.

 

The cranes have 2 hooks. One would fasten to the lugs on top of the tank while the other was used to raise and lower the rigger (guy on top of the tank). This looked like a pretty cool job. I've seen carnival rides that would work as good training tools for this occupation.

 

After the tank was rigged, the crane operator set the tank vertically on a flat bed. Once secured the truck would transport the load 500 miles to it's destination. Correction....about 500 feet to it's destination.

It was a smooth ride for the tank moving across fairly flat concrete the entire way. However, the wind did pick up a bit adding some difficulty to the task. We ended up shutting the operation down after moving 6 tanks on day 1 because of the wind. Day 1 allowed us to figure out the system making day 2 very efficient. We were able to move the remaining 18 tanks in about 5 hours on day 2.

 

The crane operator has just picked the tank off the trailer and is moving it into position. I was amazed at the accuracy of the operator.

 

He's just about ready to set it down. We set these tanks on 1" foam insulation in the containment to prevent stones or abrasive concrete from rubbing on the tank. You can't see him in the lift on the right but Grounds and Building Supervisor, Ron Andrews, is securing the tanks with cable guy lines down to the containment walls.

 

The rigger is taking a ride back up to unhook the tank. Site Manager, Jeff Luiken is scoping out the location for the next tank. I might add, it was about 100 degrees with 90% humidity while this was going on. 

 

At this point in the operation, the cranes have left, the tanks are set and secure. You can see from the void spot in the containment there will be a phase 2 tank move. There are 32 more tanks to move in this phase (scheduled for November).

 

A birds eye view of the tanks.........

 

........and a moles eye view of the tanks.

 

And here is what's left of the existing containment. We'll re-purpose the fence around the new containment and the peastone in the rings can be re-purposed when we build another large tank out back.

 

This photo may not mean much to most but it's a completely new plumbing method for us. We typically run flexible rubber hose from tank to tank resulting in hundreds of feet of wasted hose. This method uses a rigid common header which all the tanks with common products will feed. The 6 inch header (pipe) pictured here will run to the intake side of the pump resulting in the maximum supply the pump needs to give us the flow rates we want to achieve.

Since I was up in the lift taking pictures I thought I'd face east and get one of the 2 million gallon tank. This photo is about 3 weeks old. Currently, the crew is working on the third ring (24' tall).

 

This probably looks familiar. We've developed a standard at the sites when it comes to the way our buildings look. This is the new truck load out office in Williams. The building layout is slightly different than Ashley and Stockton because we re-purposed an old office from the plant area in Williams but asthetically we mimicked the colors and design of the other sites.

 

 

Next week I'm back off to Williams to continue work on the plumbing. The full facilities crew will be out there at the same time to complete the phase 1 plumbing set up for loading High-NRG-N and Pro-Germinator with the new truck load out office (pictured above).

 

Colorful Tanks, BIG Tanks, and a Nearly Completed Office

WILLIAMS

The 500,000 gallon tanks in their completed form. Green was chosen for a couple reasons. Number 1: The dark color will attract the sun light in the winter, heating the air space between the inner and outer tank walls, making it easier to store certain products through the winter. Number 2: It's a great representation of our company. Green (environmentally friendly) products used to grow green (color) products.

GOODLAND

Heartland Tank is moving along on the 2 million gallon tank in Goodland. In this photo they are finishing the welds on the fourth ring. This photo was taken a couple weeks ago. At this time the roof is nearly complete and the tank is almost ready to have the interior coating applied.  When the crew is finished here, they will move to Williams to construct another tank of the same size.

 ST. JOHNS - CORPORATE OFFICE

So close to completion. The flags have been raised and the contractors are working on the final touches as the September 14th public open house draws near.

Just last night they painted the parking lot stripes for those of us who have a difficult time gauging the correct parking space size.

And this is looking in the direction of where the old building stood at one time. Now that it's gone the excavation for site drainage and parking lots can be finished.

 This is a view from the Dewitt Road entrance looking at the east side of the IQ Hub.

 

The landscaping is coming along nicely. The lawn has been seeded and the irrigation system is getting installed. In the background you'll notice the storage building.

 

Here you see the west side of the storage building and the current lay down area for equipment, materials, and dumpsters. Eventually, this will be more parking lot.

  

Up ahead is one of the wood bridges that spans over the rock basin on the walk path. This will be used on those days when employees need to get away from their desk for a minute or two.

A view of the back of the building from the walking path.

Wow! I'm beginning to think i-phone photography might be my thing. What a shot from the north looking south east at the front of the building. I'll admit, the beautiful morning helps a little. Next time maybe I'll use a real camera and see what I'm really capable of.

 

ALL SORTS OF CONSTRUCTION

No I was not on vacation this entire time. As you'll see below, things have been quite busy and only getting busier. Keeping the adoring public informed of the facilties happenings at AgroLiquid is important but sometimes it takes a back seat to making sure site development stays on track. Anyway, tanks are rising, diggers are digging, final touches are being made, and buildings are being destroyed at the facilities.


 GOODLAND, KS

 

2,000,000 GA TANK

Heartland Tank is making progress on the tank in Goodland. They are 2 rows high and moving up. It takes quite some time to work around the perimeter of the tank welding all those seams. On the side walls alone, there is over a half mile of horizonal seams.


ASHLEY, MI

500,000 GA TANK

Heartland Tank is also building a tank for us in Ashley. The erection time on this smaller tank will be about half the time of the one in Goodland. The crane is setting one of the large steel panels in the photo. Each panel is 8' tall x 24' long.

If you were wondering how they keep the panels in place while they weld them together, this photo gives a good visual. With the use of shims, clamps, and jigs, they manage to keep it from moving.

 WILLIAMS, IA

Gehrke Excavating is digging another very large hole at our site in Williams, IA. This one is to construct the tank base for the new and future 2 million gallon tanks. Well, the future one may end up a little smaller due to space limitations. At any rate, it's quite a hole. 

And the next day, Heartland Tank built the tanks. I've been impressed with their efficiency but this is amazing. However, we wanted them green not blue.

I wanted to get a little exercise after sitting in a car for awhile so I made a few trips up and down the stairway. I can't remember for sure but I think there's about 897 steps......... or maybe 40 something.

At the time of this publication, the tanks are green. The white color in this photo is the primer. The tank on the left has just been sandblasted. The poor guys doing that job had the pleasure of wearing full white space suits with matching head gear for ventilation. Did I mention it was over 90 degrees when they did it.

Here is a view looking across the recently installed truck scale. Just to the left on the concrete pad will be a scale house with the readout. The scale was purchased used. Hence the weathered look.

 

 

SAINT JOHNS, MI

 

I won't comment too much here. The pictures can speak for themselves (unless an explanation is needed). Besides,  I need to wrap this up and get on to other things.

 





The old office - destroyed  

The board room is now complete, table and all.

The conference room was put to use for the first time last week. AgroLiquid employees joined local auto parts manufacturer, Mahle Corporation for some management training.

 Employee kitchen. Who needs to go out for lunch when you have these accomodations.

Employee breakroom or cafeteria. I think each name comes with a size requirement . I'm not sure where this falls.

Out back curbs have been poured and the excavator is prepping for the parking lot concrete. In the back ground, the sidewalk for the walking path is getting formed. This week the concrete crew will be busy pouring the rear (south and west) parking lots.

 

Last but not least, the Nutrient Research Lab. Lot's of cool stuff in here that will serve AgroLiquid well in the development of new products and improve on current products.