ContraFlex® delivers effective retrofit PFP jacket solution
Working with Saipem, our ContraFlex® team installed a comprehensive retrofit PFP jacket solution at an onshore facility in West Africa.
The highlights
70% quicker
Designed to be rapid to fit or refit, saving operator time, reducing operational downtime resulting in cost saving.
180 minutes
Our jackets provide up to 180 minutes fire protection and are tested to hydrocarbon pool (UL1709) and jet fire (ISO22899) scenarios.
The protection
Our ContraFlex® PFP jackets have been extensively tested for weather protection, including UV exposure and cyclic salt spray testing.
The challenge
The installation had a PU top coat applied when it was commissioned – which created a challenge for the contractor Saipem when the owner requested that they fit passive fire protection (PFP). Applying traditional PFP onto a PU coating without taking any remedial action would result in the PU coating melting under the PFP. Saipem had two options:
Firstly, they could either prepare the surface to be coated in PFP by blasting away the PU coating and reapplying a primer which would have cost implications through increased downtime of installation and additional resource required. Alternatively, they could install a retrofit solution.
Our solution
ContraFlex® jackets are an effective retrofit solution, that could be quickly and easily installed, by our small local team, (4-6 men) in the window available to Saipem to complete the installation. Our installers understand local working conditions and are supervised by one of our UK based experts. In 34 days they installed 811m of jackets to structures plus connections.
The bespoke installation pads create a square profile, before being wrapped in PFP on the structures. Our jackets are held in place using a unique first-fit Velcro type fastening which enables quick and easy installation. It also enables future maintenance checks to be made without removing the entire covering.
Our flexible solution enables site personnel to make any modifications and consider any clash points that may not have been evident from the 3D models used to produce the jackets, ensuring a perfect fit. The project specification required that the solution must be able to demonstrate it would remain effective in all environmental conditions. ContraFlex® has undergone stringent testing for UV resistance, water ingress, and temperature cycling to NORSOK R-004 standards covering standards ISO 12944. To demonstrate that our jackets would meet the project requirements, we completed a design appraisal using Lloyd’s Register to qualify the system under the required fire conditions. Jet fire rating J15-400 optimising the solution of 36mm thickness.
The results
Without this solution, the installation would otherwise have been non-operational for longer to achieve its PFP requirements for structures. We helped Saipem save on resource cost, installation downtime and deliver the project on time for the client.
This solution contributed significantly to the overall success of the project and we are looking at further opportunities to install this solution at other installations.
Success stories
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