Repair of foundations for a large compessor

Abstract

This paper reports the repair of a foundation supporting a large operational compressor in a hydro-cracker plant which is subjected to vibrations virtually all the time. Cracking of the foundation had occurred and the cracks propagated with time leading to excessive deflection of the crankshaft in the compressor, necessitating more frequent maintenance. The hydro-cracker plant depends on the continuous operation of the compressor and can ill afford the down time needed for more frequent maintenance of the compressor arising from premature excessive deflections. The causes of distress was first identified and appropriate remedial measures introduced to ensure that the repair can proceed as planned with minimum down time. The repair of this foundation is highly challenging especially since the entire hydro-cracker plant depends on the continuous operation of the compressors. The investigations carried out initially to establish the causes of cracking of the foundation, the actual repair process and the performance after the repair are presented in this paper.