Title: Environmentally Engineered Concrete System—Concrete for Oil and Chemical Plant Environmental Applications

Author(s): K. Beer, C. Early, and M. Gillen

Publication: Symposium Paper

Volume: 192

Issue:

Appears on pages(s): 1135-1154

Keywords: chemical properties; concretes; durability; environments; industrial buildings; oil well cements; permeability

DOI: 10.14359/5806

Date: 4/1/2000

Abstract:
To provide an acceptable level of performance, concrete used in oil production and refining facilities and chemical plants must be capable of resisting a wide range of deleterious chemical and thermal exposure conditions. In these applications, concrete compressive strength is less critical for design than resistance to chemical attack, minimization of cracking, and other properties relating to durability. Moreover, environmental regulations often place very stringent performance requirements on concrete used in containment structures where potentially hazardous materials are stored or used in plant operations. Experience has repeatedly shown that conventional 20-28 MPa (3-4000 psi) structural concrete does not perform well under these conditions. This paper describes the development of an Environmentally Engineered Concrete System (EECS), consisting of mixture proportions, design details, and construction methods, used for production and environmental containment concrete structures in plants in DuPont and its former oil subsidiary, Conoco. Performance characteristics of this system, and field experience with EECS in various projects, are described. The methodology has considerable potential use within the oil and chemical industries, and other industrial applications where operations of environmental requirements place special demands on concrete performance under severe exposure conditions.