PHOTO DOCUMENTATION OF CONCRETE FOUNDATION AND EPOXY GROUT JOB FOR RECIPROCATING COMPRESSOR

Oxy South Cross Unit, Battery No. 6 McCamey, Texas K-9200 Compressor: 1250 HP, 2 Stage, 2-Throw, 65,000 lbs September November 2001

By: Steve White

Bracing and forms for concrete foundation. Threaded rods hold opposing forms in place.

Anchor bolt sleeves to protect threads during concrete pour. This permits proper bolt stretch and torques to be achieved.

Anchor bolt positioned on form. Note that anchor bolt has superior rounded plate on bottom instead of using J-bolt style. Do not use square plate because it induces cracks in foundation. Small tack weld to hold nut on bottom. Dont circumferential weld because excess heat changes bolt strength. Sleeve needs to be moved up before concrete pour.

Concrete foundation with anchor bolts and trough to capture any compressor fluids. Cooler foundation in foreground; Compressor foundation behind it.

Shim pack. Some construction companies put these under the skid to hold it level. Do not use these!! Steel and epoxy grout expand differently and this can cause cracking in finished grout job or uneven stresses pushing upward on the bottom of the skid flange plate.

Preferred method of leveling. Use round jack bolt plate with rounded edges to receive jack bolt. Cement in place. Use sufficient jack bolts for leveling.

Open sleeve area and anchor bolt thread protection. Foam water pipe insulation is used for thread protection. It crushes easily under the weight of the skid to form a good seal.

Filling space between sleeve and anchor bolt so that lubricants, rain and other fluids dont seep down around anchor bolts and cause failure of concrete foundation. Need to trim level with concrete foundation before grout job.

Expansion joints at each anchor bolt so that grout doesnt crack over time. After grout jobs these need to be trimmed and caulked with oil resistant caulk to prevent seepage into concrete foundation which can cause damage.

Concrete foundation has been chipped down to aggregate to achieve good bonding with grout. Some desire a deeper saw tooth into concrete surface. Make sure no lubricant contaminates the surface. Note placement of jack bolt shims and anchor bolts to match skid bolt patterns.

Shooting tops of jack bolt plates. This is used to adjust all jack bolt heights prior to setting the compressor on the foundation. This ensures the compressor being close to level thus requiring only minor adjustment later.

Sandblasting bottom of skid plate to remove rust and loose paint.

Clean metal finish provides for better bonding to epoxy grout.

Carefully setting compressor onto foundation. Note jack bolts have been adjusted to rest on jack bolt plates for achieving close to level.

Precision level located on machined compressor frame plate cover.

Adjusting jack bolts to achieve perfect level. Final base plate elevation should be approximately 1-2 above top of concrete.

Preparation of forms and waxing them so grout doesnt stick to wood. Use a good quality colored paste wax.

Waxing portions of skid where you dont want epoxy to adhere to. Otherwise it is tough to clean up.

Installing chamfer moulding to epoxy forms. Bubble level (green) to make sure top of chamfer is level with top of metal flange plate. This allows for smooth level surface for grout. Forms are set within a couple of inches of skid edge. If epoxy lip was too wide it would pull up concrete as the epoxy expanded and contracted with climate changes. As an alternate, steel rebar could be installed to keep the lip from lifting up.

Cutting holes so epoxy can be poured inside skid cavities to ensure good epoxy bonding to skid across the entire skid. They also provide good observation points. Preferred method is to have openings with removable cover plates made by compressor packager.

Laying out patterns to cut epoxy pouring funnels.

Completed funnel being used. Plastic cones or chutes are preferred by some.

Hold pre-job meeting with epoxy supplier, construction contractor and company personnel to plan job. Items to discuss include volumes to order, aggregate/epoxy ratios, workingtime, flowability, temperature, safety, quality control/sampling checklists, etc.

Epoxy job in full action. Epoxy resin (metal pails) are matched with hardener (plastic jugs) to ensure there is enough of both to do the job. Epoxy aggregate close to mixer. Backup mixer (not in picture) is required in case primary mixer fails. Make sure there is MEK (methyl-ethyl ketone) on location to remove epoxy in the event of emergency cleanup or removal.

Mixing epoxy and aggregate. Note use of gloves for protection.

Mixing resin and hardener one unit at a time. Dont stir too fast to aerate.

Final epoxy grout mixture.

Grout flowing under the skid.

Grout being poured in from hole in top skid plate. Grout should be able to flow on its own. Chains, push rods, and mechanical vibrators should not be used for grout placement.

Final grout level equal to top of flange plate.

Troweling to level surface of grout and remove excess.

Surface of grout being treated with methyl-ethyl ketone for smooth finish.

Note the mess from the grout job. Make sure surfaces have been waxed or protected for easy clean up.

Finished grout surface.

Expansion joint at anchor bolt.

Chamfered edge and trimmed expansion joint. Still need to caulk expansion joint to protect concrete foundation from lube oils and water.

Forms have been removed. Jack bolts need to be removed and holes filled with caulk. Install skid cover plates. Anchor bolts need to be tightened to proper torque. Fill skid cavities with grout or concrete to provide mass and dampen vibration. Need to clean top of concrete foundation and apply oil/water proof sealant.