Winners of the 2023 STI/SPFA Steel Product Awards were announced on April 20, 2024, during the STI/SPFA Annual Meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz. Member companies were recognized across fifteen different categories. This year’s entries used a combined total of 30,000 tons of steel.
Steel Water Pipe Project of the Year
WRIP Phase 2 Pump Station Improvements
Pipe Fabrication
Mid America Pipe Fabricating & Supply, LLC
WRIP Phase 2 Pump Station Improvements
Overall Height/Length: 4,872’
Diameter: 50 3/4”
Steel Tonnage: 470
Steel Thickness: 0.375”
Steel Fitting Type: Bell Spigot/Flanges/FC’S/FCA’S/DMJ’S
The existing Pearsall Jobsite has a new 7.5 MG Ground Storage tank, with a 48″ line connecting from the bottom and coming out into the suction side of the high service pump station. 316L stainless steel water vortex breakers for the bottom of the tank were also fabricated that can be removed during maintenance.
Northwest Water Purification Plant Expansion PKG 13 Central Plant
Pipeline Project
Mid America Pipe Fabricating & Supply, LLC
Northwest Water Purification Plant Expansion PKG 13 Central Plant
Overall Height/Length: 6,000’
Diameter: 6” – 86”
Steel Tonnage: 450
Steel Thickness: 0.25” – 1.00”
Steel Fitting Type: Elbows, supports, harness couplings, wyes
Piping for this project consisted of several different sizes and grades of pipe. With the size of the pipe and the limited space, most of the connections were either flanged or coupled together.
Field Erected Tank of the Year
Wisconsin LNG Project
API 620 Low Pressure Liquid Storage Tank
CB&I Plainfield
Wisconsin LNG Project
Overall Height/Length: 154’-6”
Column Height: 136’-3”
Diameter: 136’-6”
Capacity (gallons): 12,000,000
Steel Tonnage: 1,525
Steel Thickness: 0.25” – 1.4’
WEC Energy Group (WEC) determined additional natural gas capacity was needed to meet the growing demand on the coldest days in southeast Wisconsin. The Bluff Creek location is home to a 12,000,000 gallon double-wall, single-containment liquefied natural gas storage tank, compliant with API 625, API 620, and NFPA 59A standards. The scope included the engineering, procurement, fabrication, and construction of the tank foundation, outer carbon steel tank, and inner 9% Ni steel tank.
Two API 650 Wet Seal Gasholders
API 650 Atmospheric Oil Storage Tank
CB&I Alpharetta
Two API 650 Wet Seal Gasholders
Overall Height/Length: 82’-5”
Column Height: –
Diameter: 61’-0”
Capacity (gallons): 748,050
Steel Tonnage: 303
Steel Thickness: 0.419”
This project consisted of two API 650 (100,000 cubic feet and 25,000 cubic feet) Wet Seal Gasholders. Designed to API 650, gasholders consist of an outer open top tank with an inner open bottom fixed dome roof piston which moves up and down on the outer tank’s above-tank structural tracks to accommodate increases or decreases in the product gas volumes. When in operation, the outer tank contains water which acts as the barrier to contain the product gas inside the piston.
Liquid Hydrogen/Gateway Project
ASME Pressure Vessel
CB&I New Castle
Liquid Hydrogen/Gateway Project
Overall Height/Length: 66’-6”
Column Height: 35’-9”
Diameter: 59’-6”
Capacity (gallons): 1,000,000
Steel Tonnage: 888
Steel Thickness: 1.172”
This project was for the turnkey engineering, procurement, fabrication, and construction of two new 500,000 gallon, double-wall, green liquid hydrogen storage spheres for the Gateway Project in New York. The scope of work included the sphere foundations, the structure, nozzles, platforms, access stairway, the structure coatings and testing. These two spheres were successfully completed with zero incidents and ahead of the overall project schedule.
Gumwood 1.5 Million Gallon Water Tower and Pressure Vault Improvements
Elevated Tank
Caldwell Tanks, Inc.
Gumwood 1.5 Million Gallon Water Tower and Pressure Vault Improvements
Overall Height/Length: 150’
Column Height: 48’
Diameter: 86’
Capacity (gallons): 1,500,000
Steel Tonnage: 325
Steel Thickness: 0.25” – 1.09375”
This state-of-the-art tower stands as a testament to the city’s commitment to ensuring a sustainable and reliable water supply for its residents. This aesthetic enhancement not only adds a touch of modernity to the city’s skyline but also reinforces Mishawaka’s commitment to blending functionality with aesthetics in its public infrastructure projects.
Holly Drive Reservoirs, Phase III
Reservoir
Paso Robles Tank, Inc.
Holly Drive Reservoirs, Phase III
Overall Height/Length: 22’
Column Height: –
Diameter: 32’
Capacity (gallons): 120,000
Steel Tonnage: 31
Steel Thickness: 0.25” – 0.3125”
This 120,000 gallon welded steel tank features a knuckled self-supporting umbrella roof. The tank is erected next to an existing storage tank with updated seismic and appurtenances, and larger storage capacity while utilizing the existing site to maximum efficiency.
Middle West Spirits Tanks
Special Storage
Caldwell Tanks, Inc.
Middle West Spirits Tanks
Overall Height/Length: 24’-9”
Column Height: 12’-2”
Diameter: 21’
Capacity (gallons): 750,000
Steel Tonnage: 300
Steel Thickness: 0.375” – 0.75”
For Middle West Spirits Caldwell designed, fabricated, and erected fourteen fermenters and one beer well. The first nine fermenters and the beer well were for Line 1 with the additional five fermenters added as an expansion to this line.
DPS Facility Tank Farm
Standpipe
Caldwell Tanks, Inc.
DPS Facility Tank Farm
Overall Height/Length: 30’
Column Height: 30’
Diameter: 27’
Capacity (gallons): 600,000
Steel Tonnage: 98
Steel Thickness: 0.1875” – 0.25”
This project consisted of the construction of seven 60,000-gallon tanks and two 120,000-gallon tanks, in addition to nine 32,000 gallon tanks as part of a cutting-edge tank terminal and distribution facility at the new Distilled Spirits Plant in Louisville, Kentucky.
Washwater Tank Seismic Improvements
Repair and Modification
Paso Robles Tank, Inc.
Washwater Tank Seismic Improvements
Overall Height/Length: 80’
Column Height: 74’-8”
Diameter: 46’
Capacity (gallons): 950,000
Steel Tonnage: 25
Steel Thickness: 1.5”
Even though the tank had been in service for 40 plus years with no issues, a structural evaluation determined that the foundation was severely undersized. With careful planning and engineering, Paso Robles Tank was able to create a plan to move the entire tank 200 feet off the existing pad. This specific situation is unique since this is a standpipe opposed to a flatbottom reservoir. No other tank construction has the flexibility or material characteristics to allow this move which exemplifies the beauty of steel.
Fabricated Product of the Year
Harris Las Vegas Sphere Air Receiver Project
Pressure Vessel
Kennedy Tank & Mfg. Co., Inc.
Harris Las Vegas Sphere Air Receiver Project
Overall Height/Length: 42’-10”
Column Height: 35’
Diameter: 10’
Capacity (gallons): 22,500
Steel Tonnage: 10.2
Steel Thickness: 0.75”
The four 22,500 carbon steel pressure vessels act as a buffer mechanism between the compressor and the fluctuating pressure caused by the changing demand for the Sphere in Las Vegas. The tank shell was ¾ inches thick and the dished heads were 7/8 inches nominal thickness with full x-ray on all straight seams. These vessels were designed and stamped per ASME Section VIII for 225 PSIG at 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Winery Expansion
Shop-Fabricated Atmospheric Tank
Paso Robles Tank, Inc.
Winery Expansion
Overall Height/Length: 20’
Column Height: 16’
Diameter: 10’
Capacity (gallons): 9,400
Steel Tonnage: 6
Steel Thickness: 0.135”
The project consisted of two double walled and insulated shop-built tanks. These tanks were built from the top down using MIG and TIG welding processes. The dimple jackets on the inner tanks were spot welded and welded around the perimeter to seal the two pieces together. The dimple jacket is then inflated to create a void for the glycol to flow through. This jacketing allows the winery to control the temperature of the wine during fermentation all the way through bottling. These tanks in total hold 18,800 gallons, enough wine to make 7,907 cases of wine or 94,887 bottles of wine.
Modular Service Station with FIREGUARD® Tank
Special Fabrication
Bertotto Boglione
Modular Service Station with FIREGUARD® Tank
Overall Height/Length: 44.6’
Column Height: 8.64’
Diameter: 7’
Capacity (gallons): 10,300
Steel Tonnage: 12
Steel Thickness: 0.25”
The project was born as a solution for fuel supply in unusual or difficult to access places, in which it is necessary to set up a semi-mobile modular service station for the storage of Class I and Class II liquid fuels, whose function is to supply fuel for light vehicles in a safe, easy-to-operate manner that complies with regulatory standards. The station consists of a UL 2085 protected FIREGUARD® tank with a total capacity of 10,000 gallons compartmentalized into three storages.
Six 50,000 Gallon UL-2085 FIREGUARD® Jet Fuel Storage Tanks
STI Technology
Lannon Tank Company
Six 50,000 Gallon UL-2085 FIREGUARD Jet Fuel Storage Tanks
Overall Height/Length: 60’
Column Height: 14’-2”
Diameter: 12’-6”
Capacity (gallons): 50,000
Steel Tonnage: 250
Steel Thickness: 0.375”
These 50,000-gallon FIREGUARD® tanks weigh over 113,000 pounds each. Included in the project are galvanized, yellow topcoat OSHA compliant catwalk systems with precisely located manway access toe boards. The catwalks were factory manufactured with mounting locations fit to a custom designed template which allowed for flawless installation at the job site. 250 tons of ‘USA Made’ certified steel was used to fabricate these tanks, along with 40 tons of FIREGUARD® Premix and over 600 gallons of affiliate member coatings. This project spanned 30 weeks of calendar time from start of project to the final pre-shipment inspection.
Affiliate Product of the Year
MagTrack Robotic Blasting System
Marine Equipment Supply
MagTrack Robotic Blasting System
The MagTrack is designed to carry out various surface preparation tasks, including abrasive blasting, Ultra High-Pressure cleaning and Ultra High-Pressure closed-loop blasting. The MagTrack will fit through a 24” manway, climbs walls and will operate upside down.
About the STI/SPFA Safety Awards
The STI/SPFA Safety Awards acknowledge the highest achievements in the safe performance of companies engaged in shop fabrication, inspection, maintenance, and field construction activities.
Learn more and view past winners at: stispfa.org/about/awards
