BE Structural offers engineering services for wastewater treatment facilities & large equipment supporting biosolid technology. We recognize the growing problem facing many local municipalities and private industry. Aging equipment and infrastructure, originally designed to separate waste from storm water, is posing a serious threat to our country’s ability to effectively collect, store and treat water. Through targeted research, our business development team has identified trends that demand our attention as engineering professionals. BE Structural is proud to say that wastewater/hydro structural engineering is a key pillar of our business.
Slurry Tanks for Waste Water Treatment, Industrial Applications and Storage
Our team has performed structural analysis on existing wastewater equipment along with conceptual design and engineering for new products that have not yet hit the market. In 2013, BE Structural partnered with a PA based firm to analyze an existing slurry aging tank.
The tank holds lime slurry which is used in the regulation of PH in water. The tank components were designed to generate heat during the reaction process. However, our client had found that if they pre-heat the water in the inner tank, a better reaction was produced. They were seeking our recommendations on the tank’s material, thickness and structural stability to accomplish this new function.
Our engineers started by creating a 3d finite element computer model of the tank including the system’s internal and external components. A 40 psi area load was applied to the outer tank jacket walls to simulate the jacket being pressurized with water. A 63.6 pcf load was applied to the inner tank walls and the bottom to simulate the tank being filled with the slurry and water mixture. Our goal was to identify engineering considerations required to process water at a higher temperature and pressure. Our team provided structural calculations and revised equipment details necessary for the tank to operate at this new capacity.
Horizontal & Live Bottom Bins for Biosolids
BE Structural offers structural design and engineering services for biosolid recycling of waste/sludge. Our company is passionate about sustainable engineering and we are proud to work with the biosolid community to improve their systems for turning waste into viable, organic materials. Reuse of this un-avoidable by-product is now becoming more mainstream however we feel there is much more to be contributed to improving the process.
Our team is excited to be working with biosolid equipment manufacturers and distributors to engineer safer products capable of breaking down and recycling waste/sludge into nutrient rich, organic material suitable for harvesting. Our clients are on the forefront of this movement and depend on sound engineering practice to improve their equipment design and capabilities.
Our Personal Story
It is hard to believe that only 30 years ago, thousands of American cities were dumping raw sewage directly into rivers, streams and lakes. BE Structural’ s home office sits 80 feet from the Susquehanna River which is one of many waterways plagued by this practice. More than eight million gallons of raw sewage flowed into the Susquehanna River between 2007 and 2013(1), which violated the EPA’s Clean Water Act. The 82 million dollar settlement that resulted from a recent lawsuit will support better options for storm water management and waste water treatment.
We are committed to supporting this local endeavor and other communities across the country. BE Structural and its affiliates (Bruce Ensor, Structural Engineer) offer wastewater/ biosolid equipment design, engineered product certification, structural engineering and stamped construction documents in 49 states nationwide.
(1) Fox News, Harrisburg PA
Water Infrastructure Group PCL Construction Inc. Denver, CO
BE Structural designed and engineered the rigging to lift the tank and cone into place for the hopper. The video below is a time-lapse of a 70-ton hopper cone placement. Videos taken and provided by Ryan Welu of Water Infrastructure Group PCL Construction Inc. Photos taken and provided by Benny Simmons Superintendent, Water Infrastructure Group PCL Construction Inc.