Steel Chamber / Frankfurt am Main

On a route approximately 200 m long, a steam pipeline comprising a DN 400 medium pipe within a DN 700 protective pipe was constructed. The dimensioning specifies 200 °C at an operating pressure of 10 bar. The key challenge was to reliably control thermal linear expansion whilst ensuring cost-effective implementation.

To compensate for the total expansion, a casing pipe expansion to DN 1000 was planned at the end of the pipeline. At the midpoint of the line, a vertical offset allowed a large proportion of the thermal expansion to be accommodated in the vertical side via angular compensators.

The entire assembly of the chamber was prefabricated at the factory. This includes, amongst other things, the complete piping including the angular compensators, the drainage system with fittings, the insulation, all vacuum connection lines, the ventilation and air extraction, the access ladder, the chamber access dome with top cover, the concrete base as a flotation control, and a pump sump with a bilge pump.

All welding seams are manufactured under optimal conditions. Their inspection, as well as the execution of a pressure test and the subsequent acceptance, are also executed under optimal factory conditions.

The high degree of prefabrication reduces on-site assembly work to a minimum; on site, only the connections to the associated pipelines, the installation of the dome, the fitting of the ventilation and air-extraction systems, and the electrical connections need to be carried out.

The short installation time of just a few days also reduces site overheads and contributes significantly to the overall cost-effectiveness of the project.