THE WORLD OF OILTANKING VOL. 26/1 APRIL 2014 connections Tempting construction EDITORIAL CONTENTS Contents ASIA PACIFIC 04 Laying a good foundation 07 3 spheres in action 08 Cooking for a charitable cause 26 Pillars of Singapore’s “construction” industry: Samsui women Building EUROPE 10 Construction review 14 Space shortage means complicated challenges 10 The railway – connecting business connections 16 CONSTRUCTION with the private world When you read this issue of connections, you might notice an take our time in choosing Carlin’s successor — preferably an INDIA 13 Construction excellence in the UAE apparent oxymoron: How can the issue focus on such a internal candidate. For the transition phase, Christian Flach, Achieving new heights technical theme as “construction” yet still include especially Chief Executive Officer of Marquard & Bahls, and Julio 24 human pages called I do’s & goo-goos? Isn’t that a strange Tellechea, Executive Board Member of Marquard & Bahls, will combination? jointly run Oiltanking. We feel very confident with this interim LATIN AMERICA 35 A clean and charitable commitment management since Oiltanking has a very solid foundation, 42 Maneuvering into pole position Well, firstly, over the years it has become a tradition to inform supported by a strong team in Hamburg, top regional our readers of the happy events our colleagues and their management teams and dedicated employees worldwide. 44 Friends of Bellavista Park families experienced at this time of year. Secondly, with so Therefore, Oiltanking is well positioned to continue its many projects going on within the wide world of Oiltanking, successful long-term growth with excellent prospects for 2014 39 Remarkable railway construction we thought it would be apt to have “construction” in the and the years to come. MIDDLE EAST Sohar: “It all starts here” limelight this time round. Besides, these topics are not so 40 unrelated after all: Our people also have a “human” bond with We wish Carlin and his family all the best in the next chapter their work, which is evident in the construction and operation of their lives. As for our readers, we hope that we have NORTH AMERICA 28 Old Dock 65 – rebuilt 42 of more assets for our customers. The latest news within “constructed” a new issue that provides you with plenty of Immeasurable drive POLE POSITION Oiltanking merely illustrates this overlap even more: After other compelling stories. 30 almost 14 years with the company, nearly two years of which he spent in his role as Oiltanking’s Managing Director and Happy reading, PEOPLE 18 We can, we care ... as technical drawers member of the Marquard & Bahls Executive Board, Carlin Cultural Experiences | Never say never Conner decided to devote more time to his family and return & PLACES 20 to the USA. We respect his personal decision to leave Oiltanking but at the same time regret losing such an outstanding LEISURE & 09 Lexicon | “Dolphins” colleague and highly respected manager. 23 Number | 129 concrete piles Christian Flach Julio Tellechea ENTERTAINMENT And while proper planning, either for a wedding or a Chief Executive Officer Executive Board Member 32 Cover | “Big Appetites: Tiny People construction project, is always recommended, we, too, will of Marquard & Bahls of Marquard & Bahls in a World of Big Food” 36 Under construction 46 GOO-GOOS 50 I DO'S IMPRINT connections Vol. 26/1/2014 Published by Oiltanking GmbH, Corporate Center, Admiralitaetstrasse 55, 54 The name of the game: "V" 54 20459 Hamburg, Germany, www.oiltanking.com, Telephone +49-40-37099-485, Fax +49-40-37099-499 PUZZLE Reader's Corner E-Mail [email protected] Coordinator Gabi Wuestenberg, Manager Communications Editor Renate Eijkholt 55 Design raz design, Hamburg Print BEISNER DRUCK GMBH & Co. KG, Hamburg Published Three times a year 56 Last but not least | Making a Copy Deadline vol 26/2 16.05.2014 stunning entrance Print compensated Id-No. 1436369 www.bvdm-online.de 2 CONNECTIONS CONNECTIONS 3 ASIA PACIFIC ASIA PACIFIC GEOTECHNICAL SOLUTION Laying a good Vibro compaction and stone On average, stone columns cost 60 percent less than concrete piles; columns provide an alternative to conventional piling for with vibro compaction, the savings can be as much as 70 percent. laying the foundations for oil storage terminals. foundation (source: Keller Foundations) so when a special construction technique was used for the new runway at Singapore Changi Airport, Oiltanking Vibro Replacement Singapore started to think about how it could apply the (here: stone columns) Vibro Compaction Conventional Piling novel method to tank foundations. Eventually, for Phase 6 and 7, which eventually added 478,000 cbm of storage capacity in 2005, Oiltanking took a bold construction Reinforcing Compacting Piling decision. Looking for a faster, more cost-effective method of providing a solid base for its future tanks and a way to build taller tanks with greater capacity, Oiltanking chose Tank Pad the technique of vibro compaction (e.g. tankfields 17, 18, 19), the installation of stone columns (e.g. tankfield 16) Soft Soil* and a combination of both (e.g. tankfields 21, 86). The Pile Firm Soil* Depth different alternatives were utilized due to varying soil 400 x 400 mm Reclaimed Vibro Compaced Sand corresponding Soft Soil Stone Spacing: 2.2 m * compressible Sand to tank heigh conditions, ranging from loose, reclaimed sand to silt and Column Depth: ~30 m soils e.g. marine clays. “Although a geotechnical engineer’s heart marine clays sings when he/she examines the soil at Jurong Island, a Very Dense / Stiff Soil project manager can also tell you a thing of two about it,” Hard layer / rock Hard layer / rock explains Sven Partzsch, former Engineering Manager Asia Hard layer / rock Pacific, now General Manager Oiltanking Karimun, commenting on the diverse soil conditions found on the Vibro Replacement Vibro Compaction Conventional Piling island. Therefore, thorough geotechnical investigations here: stone columns are crucial before you even begin to consider the possible tank foundations. Typically, the site in question is explored by drilling boreholes, conducting cone-penetration tests When Oiltanking Singapore commenced the construction of Phases 6 and 7 in 2005, it opted for a tank foundation method that had never been used before at any of the Oiltanking terminals worldwide or by the other industry players on Jurong Island, Singapore’s energy and chemical hub. Here’s why. Over the last decade, Oiltanking’s global capacity has Basically, there are three alternatives grown continuously and constructing new tanks is an to build tank foundations on: everyday endeavor. In doing so, while certain technical } existing ground (i.e. without any ground improvement) decisions might be universal, the soil conditions are always } improved ground very different and pose technical challenges. For instance, } rigid piled foundations Oiltanking’s geographical location in Singapore is quite significant: Tanks are being erected on a man-made island The suitability of each option is determined by the soil that was created by joining several smaller islands through conditions, tank type and corresponding settlement limits, land reclamation. Therefore, right from the beginning in not to mention the tank-operating/maintenance philosophy. FEEDING TIME The stone feed of a stone FUNDAMENTAL FUNCTION Two vibro 1989, the soil conditions on Jurong Island has played a Until 2005, Oiltanking Singapore had used soil replacement, column rig — a construction technique that compaction rigs at work during the major role in deciding the construction method and design pre-loading and piling methods. Piling became the Oiltanking used in Singapore and at the construction of Phase 6 at the Oiltanking of the Oiltanking tanks. preferred method. But piling is time consuming and costly new location in Karimun, Indonesia. terminal in Singapore. 4 CONNECTIONS CONNECTIONS 5 ASIA PACIFIC ASIA PACIFIC Sample soil profile savings can be as much as 70 percent. Also, they save (source: Keller Foundations) time as both ground improvement methods only take half the piling time. In addition, for non-improved ground the 0 m 100 m 200 m 300 m 400 m tank height would need to be reduced drastically to around 16 m at Oiltanking Singapore due to the lower bearing (A) capacity of the underground conditions; vibro-compacted (D) 10 m ground or stone-column-based foundations, however, can accommodate tanks with a height of 22 m, thereby (C) (E) (B) increasing the capacity significantly. Of course, the same 20 m (F) goes for the most conservative approach of piled (E) foundations but construction schedules are typically much 30 m longer and it usually comes with an extra price tag spheres NOW After weathering compared to the alternative treatment means. Finally, all the challenges, the there is also the ecological aspect: Concrete piling is silver lining: the three ■ (A) Loose to medium dense reclaimed sand fill energy-intensive and leaves a CO footprint that is roughly new spherical tanks in action 2 ■ were commissioned (B) Soft to firm marine clay 80 percent more than the ground improvement methods ■ (C) Very soft to firm silty / sandy day at the end of 2013. ■ (D) Clayey sand / sandy clay presented here. ■ (E) Firm to hard residual soil Although new regulations threatened to ■ (F) Jurong Formation bedrock Oiltanking Singapore played a pioneering role in using interfere with the ongoing construction of these new techniques. It was the first time that the method SOIL CONDITIONS A typical cross- three spherical tanks, Oiltanking Daya Bay had been made use of at an Oiltanking terminal worldwide section of the soil found at the (OTDB), China, completed the task Oiltanking terminal in Singapore. or for bulk storage tanks in Singapore. Other Oiltanking 3 terminals definitely stand to benefit from the experience successfully in November 2013. gained on Jurong Island. Whether the procedure is transferable and suitable for other locations, however, will and taking soil layer samples of the boreholes, which are be governed by the soil conditions and other criteria such Obtaining the necessary project looked very different.