- Project Title
- Dock Water Cooling System Upgrade ($2.8M)
- Project Summary
- The project involved the replacement and upgrade of the dock water system used to provide process cooling across the operational plant.
- The existing centrifugal pump and filtration equipment had suffered major failures approximately 18 months earlier and had been replaced by a temporary rented submersible pump and Amiad filter.
- The temporary arrangement was not suitable as a permanent seawater installation and presented an ongoing operational reliability risk.
- DMD developed the design for a permanent duty/standby system comprising two new submersible pumps and two seawater-rated Amiad filters, connected to the existing heat exchangers.
- Sector
- Animal Feed Manufacturing
- Process Utilities
- Project Location
- North West England
- Client Challenge
- Dock water is used as a primary cooling medium for the plant, meaning a continuous and reliable supply is essential to maintain production.
- The new equipment had to be installed and integrated without interrupting the existing temporary cooling arrangement.
- DMD developed a phased design and installation strategy that allowed the majority of enabling works to be completed while the plant remained operational.
- Final connection spools and system changeover activities were planned for completion during a controlled shutdown period.
- DMD Scope of Work
- Laser scanning and site surveys
- Targeted as-built verification of the existing installation
- Equipment and piping layout development
- Large-bore piping design and detailing
- Civil and structural platform design
- Secondary steelwork and pipe support design
- Phased construction work packs
- Multidisciplinary design coordination
- Engineering Disciplines
- Piping
- Civil
- Structural
- Project Delivery Approach
- A detailed laser scan and site verification exercise was completed to establish an accurate representation of the existing installation.
- Equipment layout and piping route studies were undertaken to determine the most practical arrangement within the available quayside area.
- Operational continuity was maintained by developing the replacement system around the existing temporary installation.
- Access, maintenance, lifting, installation and future equipment replacement requirements were considered throughout the design.
- Enabling and construction packages were developed to maximise the work completed while the plant remained operational.
- Final tie-ins and system changeover activities were limited to a controlled shutdown window.
- Key Engineering Features
- Duty/standby seawater pumping and filtration arrangement
- Integration with existing heat exchangers and cooling infrastructure
- Installation within a congested brownfield quayside environment
- Complex large-bore piping routes within restricted space
- Live-plant process and utility tie-ins
- Coordinated civil, structural and piping design
- Structural access and maintenance platform design
- Seawater-compatible equipment and material selection
- Design for safe operation, access and maintainability
- Detailed planning of enabling, shutdown and changeover activities
- Key Deliverables
- Coordinated 3D design model
- Equipment and piping general arrangements
- Piping fabrication isometrics
- Civil construction details
- Structural drawings
- Secondary steelwork and pipe support details
- Material take-offs
- Demolition and enabling work packs
- Phased construction packages
- Technology and Software Used
- Autodesk Plant 3D
- Autodesk Navisworks
- 3D laser scanning and point-cloud technology

