HEH – Moment: Concrete, Steel and 16 Giants – The LNG Terminal in Stade takes Shape
Concrete quality is rigorously tested
Before any concrete is poured, it undergoes rigorous inspection. The concrete is produced and tested according to the required standards. Using a standardised test – known in the industry as a slump test – specialists check that the consistency is correct. Air content is also measured. "The mix has to be spot on – aggregate, cement, water – everything is monitored," says Harald Oorts, Site Manager at HEH.
Reinforcements, so-called rebars, are crucial for the base slab – steel bars embedded in the concrete. Concrete excels at absorbing compressive forces, whilst the steel takes the tensile forces. Together, they ensure the foundation can withstand even extreme loads.
Building the tanks upwards
With the base slabs complete, the focus shifts to constructing the tank walls. Using a special formwork called jumpform, construction progresses section by section. This work, which also involves specialist welding, will take over a year per tank.
By ship and under cover of darkness: the open rack vaporisers have arrived
The general cargo vessel BBC Elisabeth was carrying a particularly important cargo. She docked at the end of February, loaded with 16 open rack vaporisers. Oorts: "These units play a key role in the terminal’s operation: they heat the liquefied natural gas and convert it back to its gaseous state."
Each unit measures approximately eight by six metres, stands four metres high and weighs around eight tonnes. "Large enough to take up the entire width of the road when being transported to temporary storage and bring traffic to a complete standstill. That’s why we moved these enormous units at night," explains Oorts.
Infrastructure keeps pace
With each construction milestone, demands on site infrastructure continue to grow. Currently, around 180 people are working on the construction site – and numbers are rising. For a long time, water was delivered by lorry; now there is a permanent connection to the public water grid. Data communications have also been expanded.