Portability
Most asphalt heating equipment is available as units that are either trailer-mounted, skid-mounted or frame-mounted. Trailer-mounted tanks have wheels and suspensions to make them portable. They have a fifth-wheel towing pin so they can be pulled by the same types of tractors used to pull conventional trailers.
As an option they can include adjustable steel foundations that can be lowered to the ground to support the units at the job site. Cranes are not required when relocating these units. Heatec combines a coil tank and helical coil heater on the same trailer chassis to create a portable system known as a Heli-tank (Figure 43).
Figure 43. Heatec Heli-Tank Combines Coil Tank And Helical Coil Heater.
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Skid mounted tanks and heaters do not have wheels and suspension, but can be transported by conventional tractor-trailers (Figure 44). Cranes or lift trucks are required to load and unload these units. The bottoms of the skids are designed to support the units and to rest on either soil or paved surfaces at the job site. The bottom surfaces of the skids have large bearing surfaces so as to keep ground-loading to no more than 2,500 pounds per square foot, a load normally supported by well-compacted soil.
Figure 44. Skid-Mounted Tanks And Heaters Are Transported By Trailer.
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Frame-mounted units are similar to the skid-mounted units. They can be transported by conventional tractor-trailers. However, the frames are designed to be supported by concrete pads or poured foundations.
All units are pre-wired and pre-piped, except for the wiring and piping between the units.
Equipment layout
Asphalt heating and storage equipment should be laid out or arranged in the most cost effective manner for piping. Good layouts can significantly decrease material and labor for installation of both asphalt and hot oil piping. Moreover, it can reduce operating costs long after the installation has been completed.
In a good layout, piping runs are as short as possible and pipes don’t double back unnecessarily. Heatec constantly discovers layouts that are not cost-effective. Moreover, components should be positioned so they are easy to access for routine maintenance and in the event a major component, such as a coil, has to be replaced.
Good layouts can be achieved only by close coordination among all parties involved. This is especially important on plants that will have two or more tanks and a heater skid. The following parties must work together as a team to achieve good layouts:
- The plant owner or operator.
- The HMA equipment salesman.
- Engineers who design the plant layout.
- Engineers who design the asphalt heating equipment .
- Those who manufacture the heating equipment and piping.
Two key factors govern good layout for piping. The first factor is the heights and positions of the tanks and heater in relation to each other. The second factor is the location of the inlets and outlets on the tanks and heater skid.
Heatec has developed standard layouts that greatly facilitate manufacturing the tanks and provide efficient piping. Moreover, the standard layouts reduce manufacturing costs and speed up delivery schedules. Thus, plant owners and equipment salesmen would do well to closely consider a standard layout unless there are special circumstances that necessitate a custom arrangement.
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