Turkish engineering firm URTIM has played a key role in the construction of what is being described as the world’s largest floating LNG tank.
The structure, built in the Arctic region, weighs 480,000 tonnes and covers an area the size of six football fields. It stands on 121 steel legs, each able to support loads ranging from 55 to 200 tonnes.
URTIM supplied a specially designed hybrid scaffolding system for the reinforced concrete works, developed over a three-year research and development programme. The company said the system allowed different phases of construction to overlap, saving time, labour, and costs.
The hybrid system made it possible to begin membrane application immediately after the first concrete pour without dismantling the scaffolding – a process that would normally require extensive reassembly.
URTIM also provided heavy-duty scaffolds, stair towers and auxiliary lifting systems throughout the build.
The LNG tank, which measures 330 metres in length, 153 metres in width and 151 metres in height, is the first of its kind and marks a significant milestone for the global energy and engineering sectors.
Serdar Urfalilar, Chairman of URTIM Formwork and Scaffolding Systems Inc., said the project highlighted the firm’s growing international reach.
He said URTIM had completed more than 4,000 projects across 70 countries in its 45-year history, working in sectors ranging from shipbuilding and refineries to transport infrastructure and healthcare facilities.
URTIM described the LNG tank project as a “source of pride” for its engineers and a demonstration of its ability to compete on a global scale.
