Steam pipe explosion in vault, Turner Construction is in default

[rrrr]

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This vault explosion happened last September at a construction site for the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. Turner Construction is the GC. My youngest brother is a coordinator for the county and showed me the video last year. The video has been under wraps for all this time while the county and Turner Construction argued about issues with the utility loop construction.

The guy in the vault is lucky to be alive. A 6" bellows type expansion joint failed when the mechanical contractor began heating up that portion of the loop. There was a condensate accumulation at the expansion joint and when it flashed the guy in the vault was blown out like a human cannonball carnival stuntman.

Steam piping can be some scary shit. It'll kill you in an instant.

Today the county notified Turner they are in default on the contract, and they have seven days to cure the default. This is gonna be ugly.

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[video=youtube;7MxsKkAnLC0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=7MxsKkAnLC0&app=desktop[/video]

 

[Racey]

Holy shit.

 

[MSum661]

S.O.B.!
Was that banging noise bolts sheering off until it blew?

 

[Joker]

WOW!!!

 

[Shortdeck]

Joel was in no hurry. He got lucky.

I've built several poured in place steam vaults. I can be dangerous. You DONT skimp on the welder when it comes to steam pipe.

 

[rivrrts429]

They are not to be fucked with!

That guy has some huge F'n balls to be down in that vault. He's lucky he was half way out.

 

[FreeBird236]

Good thing they called him at least partially out ...:yikes

 

[Wadernation]

.

This vault explosion happened last September at a construction site for the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. Turner Construction is the GC. My youngest brother is a coordinator for the county and showed me the video last year. The video has been under wraps for all this time while the county and Turner Construction argued about issues with the utility loop construction.

The guy in the vault is lucky to be alive. A 6" bellows type expansion joint failed when the mechanical contractor began heating up that portion of the loop. There was a condensate accumulation at the expansion joint and when it flashed the guy in the vault was blown out like a human cannonball carnival stuntman.

Steam piping can be some scary shit. It'll kill you in an instant.

Today the county notified Turner they are in default on the contract, and they have seven days to cure the default. This is gonna be ugly.

.

[video=youtube;7MxsKkAnLC0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=7MxsKkAnLC0&app=desktop[/video]

Dang! we do a lot of work with Turner too.. i havent heard anything about this. thanks for posting!

 

[PVHCA]

Holy shit, that guy is one tough SOB!!!

Someone explain please what that cracking noise was, I'm assuming the pipes givin way from the steam pressure.

 

[Joker]

Holy shit, that guy is one tough SOB!!!

Someone explain please what that cracking noise was, I'm assuming the pipes givin way from the steam pressure.

I thought it was bolts snapping on a flange as the guy up top was referring to torque on bolts?

 

[TCHB]

We lost some good people at SCE when we had a steam line fail at our Mohave Generating Station.

 

[pronstar]

That's nuts.
I'm thankful that mistakes in my line of work, don't wind up shooting people 100 feet into the air.

 

[Advantage 1]

Dang! we do a lot of work with Turner too.. i havent heard anything about this. thanks for posting!

Us too.

 

[Carlson-jet]

If that line was "Certified" They need to seriously reconsider their program.

I've worked on and built steam systems that I can sleep at night knowing nobody is going to die from.

 

[BHC Vic]

I saw this on the Martin bros fb. Im guessing they did the drywall on that job

 

[TCHB]

We had a large 30 inch steam line rip down the seam of the weld. It opened up like a zipper and released 1000 degree hot reheat steam. Most of the hot steam went into the main control room.

 

[rivrrts429]

Holy shit, that guy is one tough SOB!!!

Someone explain please what that cracking noise was, I'm assuming the pipes givin way from the steam pressure.

I thought it was bolts snapping on a flange as the guy up top was referring to torque on bolts?

I think what the OP is referring to is a bellow like this...



When it's installed in the line it looks like this...



Because the steam lines can have cooler and hotter temps mix, the line has to expand considerably... but the pipe itself can't move.

The problem with a typical bellow is that if the pipe hasn't been stretched properly through a tedious process, think breaking in a high performance engine, they fail quickly.

The bellow tends to push, or expand, and the pipe and all of its hardware has nowhere to go... then it fails.

I think you're hearing all of the pipe's mounting hardware, bellow flange bolts, etc... stretching and then kaboom.

Scary shit...

 

[HotRod82]

The last steam job I did the super and I were screaming at each other because he wanted me to heat up the line we had re-routed. I told him I wouldn't do it until everyone was out of that wing of the building. This video shows exactly why, I'm not afraid of the welders work I'm afraid of the cheap foreign made pipe and bellows. I don't go near new piping for at least a few hours. They were sooooo lucky.

 

[rivergames]

Holy shit. Glad he was alright

We also do quite a bit of work with Turner. Just had a meeting with them at one of our jobs today

 

[Stainless]

.

This vault explosion happened last September at a construction site for the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. Turner Construction is the GC. My youngest brother is a coordinator for the county and showed me the video last year. The video has been under wraps for all this time while the county and Turner Construction argued about issues with the utility loop construction.

The guy in the vault is lucky to be alive. A 6" bellows type expansion joint failed when the mechanical contractor began heating up that portion of the loop. There was a condensate accumulation at the expansion joint and when it flashed the guy in the vault was blown out like a human cannonball carnival stuntman.

Steam piping can be some scary shit. It'll kill you in an instant.

Today the county notified Turner they are in default on the contract, and they have seven days to cure the default. This is gonna be ugly.

.

[video=youtube;7MxsKkAnLC0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=7MxsKkAnLC0&app=desktop[/video]

What type of default? LD's or loss of revenue stream. A years worth of either could amount to cubic $.

 

[Cray Paper]

Liquidated damages and or lost revenue streams, that's splitting hairs. At a hospital, both equal big dollars not to mention reputation and future work. I would guess that vault and steam line were shut down for weeks while OSHA / DOSH investigated?

Anything with stored or potential energy can be deadly. Recently I saw a 40' long 10' tall glass wall blow over. The HVAC contractor started up the RTU (in hand during CX) and didn't open the return air dampers. There was an issue with the duct status pressure sensor calibration. Took about 25 seconds and boom, the pressure ripped the weakest link apart (metal stud framed header) and it blew over.

 

[rrrr]

What type of default? LD's or loss of revenue stream. A years worth of either could amount to cubic $.

THere's a copy of the notice of default in the link I posted. You guys should read it, it's pretty entertaining.

 

[rocket98]

THere's a copy of the notice of default in the link I posted. You guys should read it, it's pretty entertaining.

I couldn't find that link. They had the rescue tower in place but the worker was not hooked up.

 

[rrrr]

I think what the OP is referring to is a bellow like this...



When it's installed in the line it looks like this...



Because the steam lines can have cooler and hotter temps mix, the line has to expand considerably... but the pipe itself can't move.

The problem with a typical bellow is that if the pipe hasn't been stretched properly through a tedious process, think breaking in a high performance engine, they fail quickly.

The bellow tends to push, or expand, and the pipe and all of its hardware has nowhere to go... then it fails.

I think you're hearing all of the pipe's mounting hardware, bellow flange bolts, etc... stretching and then kaboom.

Scary shit...

.

The county, engineer, and contractor are going back and forth about who missed what. I'm sure you guys that work in the trade know that heating up a steam loop creates quite a bit of condensate in areas where there is a significant delta T in adjacent areas.

In this case they were putting steam into the loop for the first time. Some of the piping trench had been backfilled, some was exposed, and there were operating chilled water lines in the same trench and the vaults. According to my brother, the insulation on both piping systems wasn't complete in the vaults.

He thinks condensate migrated into a section that was fully heated and it flashed off. Those bangs and booms were due to uncontrolled pressure changes from flashing condensate and the piping system was jumping around. I don't remember if he told me the bellows had a braided stainless steel shield.

Big steam systems are not to be messed with...

 

[rrrr]

I couldn't find that link. They had the rescue tower in place but the worker was not hooked up.

Crap, I forgot to post it in the OP.

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/loca...0-Million-Medical-Facility-323454251.html#doc

 

[TCHB]

At SCE our steam turbine inlet pressure was 4500# at 1050F on our 450 Mw machines. Lots of HP in those steam lines.

 

[rivrrts429]

At SCE our steam turbine inlet pressure was 4500# at 1050F on our 450 Mw machines. Lots of HP in those steam lines.

It wasn't that long ago steam was moving locomotives over the Rockies.

Stuff is no joke.

 

[Pivot]

Let me sum this up. I'm a Union steam fitter,have been for 27 years. First let me say the next person that says we make too much money or are glorified plumbers can fuck off, if you think that you simply don't know the trade.

Ok, here we go. These are all assumptions since I have not seen or read the report.
I install these systems, all over the state. Something wasn't right with the procedure here.
You must test the system at 1 1/2 times the working pressure at a minimum. Let's say 500 psi since I don't know if this is steam or high temp hot water in the video.
Next the compensators should be rated to double the working pressure, 1 1/2 is typical but we try for more. The compensators in the picture are most likely not what was in this vault. The bellows portion is covered by a steel shield, to stop a blow out. These are installed to allow the pipe to grow, a typical steam pipe that is 8" will grow about 2" to 4" in 100' depending on system temps. Here's the tricky part, they must be installed in the correct location. Then the pipe is anchored after. Then another compensator down the line etc etc. loops can be used also. But this also needs anchors and guides.
That's the simple generic example. Engineering, certifications, weld procedures are also included but to complicated to talk about on here.

Here's what I see I the video.
The pops and bangs you heard were pipe expansion and condensation flashing. This is typical. But it was not controlled. It appears the system is being energized to fast.
If there is condensation or water in the pipe it is not as dangerous during a very slow start up. If the design doesn't have enough slope or condensate traps there will issues. The guy in vault may have been near a condensate trap or manual vent bleeding pressure. Who knows. If there is serious 'flashing' going on in the pipe the expansion bellows is not designed for explosions in the pipe line, it's for growth

So the compensator was defective, I've seen it during testing. Or the start up was incorrect. Too much pressure to fast and the weak link is a weld, a flange or a compensator. Or the design, if the anchors, guides and compensation is incorrect the pipe will fail, it literally tears at a weld usually. All steam pipe is seamless and sch 80, typically. I've seen sch 40, or stainless for clean systems. But never ERW which has a seam.
Next, once the noises started getting bad they should have stop the energizing and let it stabilize. Too much pressure and temp too fast.
Next no way in hell the guy should have been in the vault. If the testing prior was done correct there is no reason to go down there.
Next, there is absolutely no reason for all those guys to be around this process. That was asking for trouble.
Knowing turner there was a procedure submitted. So the compensator probably failed for some reason. Hard to know if any steps were skipped.
I didn't mention a bunch of stuff, like where is the steam going? Steam condensate traps, slop to pipe. It goes on and on.

If this thread has steam tomorrow I will put up some pics from my work PC of the last high temp hot water system I did and the compensators and anchors. Thats 365 psi at 365 degrees. It is used to make steam!

That guy is lucky, I also think I know him. Going to to check tomorrow

I edited my post, I thought this pipe was high temp heating, appears to be a steam line. If you google steam and injuries there are crazy pictures

 

[TCHB]

It wasn't that long ago steam was moving locomotives over the Rockies.

Stuff is no joke.

Majority of power plants still use steam turbines to produce electricity.

 

[JB in so cal]

Fag:cool

 

[rrrr]

It wasn't that long ago steam was moving locomotives over the Rockies.

And 900' long battleships like the New Jersey, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin. They had 220,000 SHP and could run for extended time at 33 knots (38 MPH). They also had steam turbine generators providing 10 mW of electrical power for the ship.

 

[TCHB]

Here is picture of the steam turbines we use in the utility world. Crazy HP!

 

[zhandfull]

I'd put my money on Turner Construction , over 25 percent increase in change orders on a 291 millon dollar contract. Yeah its not going to be done on schedule. I bet there is plenty of blame for both sides. Lawyers Win!

 

[TCHB]

Here is picture of the steam turbines we use in the utility world. Crazy HP!

The boilers that supply the steam would make 1.5 million pounds of steam an hour at 4500# with steam temp of 1050.

 

[Pivot]

Fag:cool

I just climbed around the midway aircraft carrier a few weeks back. I can't even describe the steam system in there, truly amazing. The launch rams using steam are insane

 

[Pivot]

I'd put my money on Turner Construction , over 25 percent increase in change orders on a 291 millon dollar contract. Yeah its not going to be done on schedule. I bet there is plenty of blame for both sides. Lawyers Win!

I deal with that all the time. At the end of the day this stuff is no joke. This video will surface all over know, be a good lesson for the hard pushing generals.

On another note, a elevator operator died a CW driver just today in east San Diego. Sad deal

 

[Stainless]

I'd put my money on Turner Construction , over 25 percent increase in change orders on a 291 millon dollar contract. Yeah its not going to be done on schedule. I bet there is plenty of blame for both sides. Lawyers Win!

Just read the link. Basically the county does not want to pay anything for the work completed. I'm sure the blame is equal, and you're right, lawyers will make a lot of money on this. Turner will do everything in their power to avoid a default on their resume bc in alternative procurement a default is a death warrant.

 

[Wolskis]

A quick net search and CALOSHA never heard of this event and the guy filed for workmens comp.

 

[lIQUIDATEDdAMAGES]

As a person I have to say damn that guy is lucky to be alive. As the competition I have to say damn that's bad publicity [emoji15]

 

[JB in so cal]

Video was just on KTLA...:cool

 

[rrrr]

Video was just on KTLA...:cool

I had the video the day after it happened but had to swear I wouldn't show it to anyone. It has been a serious deal and the news accounts aren't telling the details of the guys in grey suits getting prepared for battle.

That photo of the turbine with the top casing removed reminded me of this grizzled old pipefitter foreman that worked for me back in the 80's. I was 25 and the superintendent for the mechanical contractor on a pretty decent sized project. I thought I was quite important to be running a crew of forty guys and one day I made a comment to my pipefitter about the size of the piping system in the chilled water plant.

He lit a cigarette, looked at me, and said "Hell, I've worked on projects so big I used to take a naps in the bolt hole of a flange".

 

[rrrr]

We lost some good people at SCE when we had a steam line fail at our Mohave Generating Station.

I did a little reading about the incident...it sounding like Hell on Earth.

 

[arch stanton]

I have been on a project for turner building the Weed army hospital at Fort Irwin for more than 1 1/2 years the Safety program with all the pre task planing and activity hazard assessment that have to be done daily is taken very seriously and it got down right anal after repeated minor injuries few weeks in a row,it is hard to get things done timely with all the hand ringing by turner and the Army corp.

Turner pissed off the Army early in the job and one of the rules that have been implemented is that operators must were a hard hat in all machines.

This job is over budget on both time and money and most of the blame is on the design and engineering firm , but the Army corp is over their heads and is not getting RFI's back timely or complete.

When they get the CUP built i am going to stay way back on start up !

 

[Sleek-Jet]

Majority of power plants still use steam turbines to produce electricity.

The big thermal plants anyway.

And the newer ones are all super critical (might not be the right term) the steam is liquid, held at very high pressure. The amount of energy released when water is turned to vapor is mind boggling.

 

[Luvnlife]

I couldn't find that link. They had the rescue tower in place but the worker was not hooked up.

The vault he was in was a confined space but after testing the atmosphere and controlling it with the blower it was determined not to be IDLH. That is immediately dangerous to life and health, so it is not a permit required confined space. The harness he was wearing and the tripod on top are for rescue at that point. Notice he used a ladder for entry and egress, tripod has to be set up and ready for rescue and he must be wearing a harness along with constant atmosphere monitoring. If it was determined to be permit confined space he would have to be hooked up. We do alot of work with Turner and I'm pretty sure all steps were taken.

 

[Dalton]

My aunt said she thinks it was condensate liquid slamming into an elbow, causing the noise

 

[Old Texan]

I live in the area of the largest petrochemical/refinery complex in the world, the Houston Ship Channel and adjoining region. The approx 40 years I've been here have had some major and tragic events with monumental explosions from various types of sources. When things go wrong, serious reactions occur. Safety standards and practices are of epic proportions. Turner is one of the players and they know what they are doing, yet things happen no matter the precautions taken.

One explosion I remember in particular happened at Dow Chemical. I knew the 5 men killed and almost lost one of my best friends in it, if he hadn't traded out OT with one of the 5. The incident involved a system failure that over pressured a 2 foot or so diameter heavy wall line that was carrying in excess of 20,000 psi. 20,000, no misprint! A 90 degree pipe burst from over pressure and sent an intense flame up and out of the lower area of a process tower like a huge burner. All 5 were instantly burned to death on an upper structure. The initial burst broke residential windows in homes 5 miles away from the plant.

Photos of the burst pipe were released years later and it is amazing to size a large heavy wall pipe peeled back like a banana. And even more amazing at the effects such a burst can produce. Danger surrounds our industrial and energy complexes that much of the general public takes for granted. No such thing as too much caution and safety considerations when the results of an incident can cause so much damage.:yikes

 

[Hammer]

Here is picture of the steam turbines we use in the utility world. Crazy HP!

I would like to tour a turbine factory one day

 

[Wolskis]

My aunt said she thinks it was condensate liquid slamming into an elbow, causing the noise

This is more than likely what happened. I've seen 14" dia pipe jump around in pipe racks destroying hangers and supports. I would like to see pics after the system was shut down or maybe some kind of report. Here's a link to explain water hammer and it's resulting forces. http://www.kirsner.org/pages/condInduceWatHamText.html

 

[TCHB]

I would like to tour a turbine factory one day

If you are in Southern California let m know. I will call a few people and you can take a tour of one of the plants.