Infrastructure Materials Manufacturer
API 653 Tank Inspection Repair
Working closely with the client and construction contractors, the Salas O’Brien team assessed the situation and provided a solution that met API 650 and 653 standards, cut the scope of work in half, and increased the facility’s operational flexibility.
Our client
This client is a major producer and supplier of roofing, insulation, and composite materials used for commercial and residential building, transportation, and other infrastructure.
Their challenge
When the largest asphalt storage tank at one of this client’s key facilities fell out of service, they needed design, budget, and scheduling to bring it back into operational capacity at code standards as quickly as possible.
Our solution
Salas O’Brien worked with the client before the tank was taken out of service through the tank commissioning to provide American Petroleum Institute (API) 653 inspection services, detailed engineering for repairs, equipment procurement, and construction support. The process began with an inspection that revealed the need for fit-for-service engineering evaluation. Before inspection, the client expected that the project scope would include costly replacements for certain parts of the tank, but after evaluating inspection data, our team developed a design which involved robust repairs that cut the expected scope of work in half while meeting safety compliance standards. We worked closely with the contractor to obtain the necessary information for full scope development, drawing package, and engineering evaluation, and we designed for shell, bottom, and roof repairs which conformed to the company’s standards and API standards. We also designed new firetube and external piping layouts that increased the client’s operational flexibility and coordinated to contribute to equipment procurement and construction management.
The results
Our innovative design solution met API 650 and 653 standards, cut the scope of work in half, and increased the facility’s operational flexibility.


