Double-deck floating tank roof was in need of replacement

In May 2018, the dismantling of a double-deck floating tank roof was on our agenda. This 500-tonne roof, with a diameter of 83 metres, was part of major maintenance work in the Maasvlakte, and was beyond repair. The roof needed to be replaced in order to comply with all the strict safety requirements.

A tight deadline

Because we had dismantled several tank roofs in the past, we were able to agree to this tight deadline. We finished dismantling, removing and cleaning the working environment on Friday, so work could begin on installing a new roof on Monday.

How did we approach this project?

In order to dispose of all dismantled sections of the roof outside, an entrance was made in the wall of the tank. This allowed us to drive a large flat cart into the tank to collect all the dismantled sections.

To dismantle the roof systematically, we climbed onto the tank roof with fall protection gear and started by burning a large circular hole in the middle of the roof. After this part of the roof had been removed, we systematically started dismantling the roof in sections – in a snail shell pattern.

What did we have to take into consideration?

The roof of the tank was the only part that needed replacing. The bottom had already been replaced by a new one. It was therefore important that no damage was caused to the bottom and to the tank itself. It was necessary to work very carefully. We cut all the waste material from the roof outside the tank using the crawler crane with cutters, and then loaded it into scrap containers. The work lasted 6 weeks in total. Again, we can confidently say: Your project, carried out efficiently.