New GRE fire lines in Antwerp port

In the Antwerp port area, QUALM has been working for several months on the renewal and expansion of a gas terminal's extinguishing pipeline system. This is right up the street for the specialist in extinguishing systems, piping and earthmoving, who is carrying out the entire project from A to Z under its own management and with its own certified employees. 

At the terminal, gas is stored and transshipped on a large scale. "Safety has top priority there," also knows Menno Mulders, director of QUALM. "That's why the existing fire-extinguishing piping system is now being partly renewed and modified. It is up to us to install the new GRE piping in the ground, without disrupting the customer's processes. Work at the gas terminal continues unabated. Given the many bends, tees, culverts and other fittings, this is quite a puzzle. This is because the new pipeline system crisscrosses the site and contains very few straight sections."

Spool construction drawings

QUALM is the general contractor for this project, subcontracting only the earthwork to a house contractor on the site. "After all, they are familiar with the site and the end customer," says Menno. "After measuring the trenches with GPS, we make so-called spool construction drawings of the piping system. With these we indicate exactly how the pipeline should be made in the ground and at what position a bend, a T-piece for the fire hydrant or another attachment should be placed. As far as possible, the piping is prepared prefabricated under conditioned conditions in our workshop in Rozenburg. It is then transported by full truck to Antwerp to be installed in the ground. And so, step by step, the existing extinguishing piping system is expanded as necessary. At the end of 2023 we will complete the project on schedule and at the beginning of 2024 we will replace some more existing sections in the fire line."

Long lifespan 

QUALM uses glass fiber reinforced epoxy pipe (GRE) in diameters from 200 to 500 mm for this firefighting piping system. "The system is chemically resistant and tested to last 50 years, but in practice it lasts much longer. Nothing happens to it," Menno assures. And he should know, because QUALM has a lot of experience with this kind of project. "To ensure quality, we work exclusively with our own certified people who are well attuned to each other. In addition, the pipework is always prefabricated as much as possible in our workshop and each adhesive connection is made under ideal conditions and its parameters recorded in detail. On site, we only make mechanical joints via a Rubber Seal Lock Joint. This also shortens the lead time outside."