Geometrical Control of Storage Tanks
The geometrical control of storage tanks has to be performed periodically in order to verify the static integrity of these capacities according to applicable regulations and to the API 650 and API 653 standards.
This geometrical control includes amongst others the verification of roundness, tilt and settlement of hydrocarbon storage tanks.
GEOMETRY is pioneer in using the cutting edge 3D laser scanning technology for geometrical control services of storage tanks. This technology enables to perform very dense scans of the whole tank producing a cloud of several millions of 3D points with millimeter precision. This point cloud describes in detail the actual shape of the tank shell, bottom, roof or any other visible tank element.
By comparing e.g. the 3D point cloud with the theoretical shape of the tank shell, which is a vertical perfect cylinder, we can find out all the deviations of circularity and verticality in accordance with the API 650 and API 653 standards.
The deviations between the actual and the theoretical shape are represented with colours in orthographic and perspective views as well as in vertical and horizontal sections corresponding respectively to the verticality and circularity deviations. The colour spectrum representing the deviations ranges from dark blue for the deviations towards the tank interior to dark red for the deviations towards the tank exterior.
This geometrical comparison is applicable for all other tank elements such as the bottom, the fixed or floating roof, or the roof support columns.
GEOMETRY offers also the service of an exhaustive analysis of the out-of-plane settlement as well as the different types of bottom settlement in accordance with the annex B of the API 653 standard.
Our Know-how includes other derivative services of the 3D laser scanning of storage tanks such as:
- The 3D modelling of tanks and the generation of asbuilt plans of tanks with the exact position and shape of man ways, nozzles and all tank instruments.
- The very precise calculation of tank capacity tables and of the volumes of containment dikes
