Delayed Coking Unit Chute Plate System

A refinery in the United States was experiencing deterioration of the steel plates mounted to the chutes of their delayed coking structure and decided to replace them during a scheduled turnaround.

STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES’ project team was selected to develop a turnkey solution for replacement of the plates to improve their long-term durability.

After a condition assessment, it was determined that the current plate design was causing deterioration through the concrete structure. The project team developed an innovative “floating plate” design that would mitigate deterioration by eliminating the need for steel studs as anchors. The design also allowed for ease of future inspections and replacement.

STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES designed the floating plate system which included custom fabricated stainless steel plates, mounting brackets, and embedded steel plates at the nose of the chutes leading into the coke pit. The comprehensive design also included engineered plans for transportation and lifting the plates into their final position.

During project execution, STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES assisted the contractor with the execution of the quality assurance and quality control programs.