LNG infrastructure

When the Shanghai Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) project is completed, it will comprise a storage capacity of 6 million tonnes, a high-capacity distribution grid and a berthing terminal for superheavy tanker vessels.

The three large storage tanks will be 52 m high, with an inside diameter of 40 m. They feature a double-skin design to prevent leaks, with the steel inner tank housed inside an 800 mm cast in-situ concrete shell. The contracting consortium, comprising Shanghai Electric Power Construction Company and China Nuclear Industry Huaxing Construction Company, is building these using Doka's 150F climbing formwork.

The formwork system for each tank comprises 192 150 F units along with 1020 m2 of Top 50 large-area formwork. Thanks to the fact atht the forms are self climbing, saving on crane time, it has been possible to work on a weekly cycle. The formwork is joined to the climbing scaffolding to make a unit which can be lifted in one piece from one casting section up to the next, in a single crane cycle. No crane assistance is needed for setting up and striking the formwork. This greatly reduces the craneage needed for the forming operations, hugely simplifying the site logistics.

The site engineers were particularly impressed by the user safety and ease of handling offered by this climbing formwork system. "The scissor-action spindles enabled us to manoeuvre the timber-beam formwork into the pouring position quickly and accurately. Also, the broad-sized working platforms, with a 700 mm retracting distance for the formwork, leave plenty of space for cleaning the form-ply", said project manager Chenwu Li.