Temcor

Temcor Domes are the new gnomes (they’re popping up everywhere)

Founded in 1964 and recently acquired by CST Industries, Temcor designs, manufac­tures and erects architectural and environ­mental enclosures, particularly clear-span domes and related space frames. The com­pany’s materials are fabricated mostly from aluminum and are used for covering tankage and storage facilities of all types, as well as architectural applications.

“There are two main sides of our business: industrial and architectural,” says Clark Margolf, executive vice president. “The largest, to date, is industrial, where we do a lot of tanks in the wastewater and petrochemical markets. Architec­turally, we do large domes for theatres, churches, sports facilities and auditoriums.”

“Temcor also works in the bulk storage market,” Margolf adds. “These are huge domes, covering 450 feet in diameter. We do these all over the world. Right now, we’re completing a project for Hyundai steel which involves five of these domes for iron ore storage and blending.”

The company built its first aluminum dome for a water storage tank, in 1968. Since then, Temcor has installed over 8,000 dome structures, including the world’s second-largest, free-standing aluminum dome in 1982 (measuring 127 meters in diameter) and the largest in 2006 (at 135 me­ters). Most impressive is that no Temcor dome has ever failed, and all are still in service.

“The quality of our product differentiates us from our competitor, says Margolf. We have a unique structural design and paneling system, which makes our products gas-tight, water-tight and long lasting. We have a reputation in the world as being second to none.”

R&D

Although Temcor’s headquarters are in Gar­dena, California, and its manufacturing facilities are in Rincon, Georgia, Margolf maintains that 65 per cent of the company’s business is over­seas and that Temcor has worked in 76 coun­tries. Because Temcor’s structures are built for various climates around the world, thorough research and development receives major emphasis at the company. Temcor ensures that a significant percentage of annual revenues fund the division. Instead of relying on textbook theory, all patents and engineering formulas are validated from extensive physical testing. Metal­lurgical analysis and wind tunnel tests are also used, so Temcor products are precision fabri­cated to aircraft tolerances.
 
To put the importance of R&D in perspec­tive, Temcor domes must withstand the heat of a Middle Eastern desert, typhoon winds of 300 kilometers per hour on a Pacific Island and un­even snow loads of 1,500 kilograms per square meter in the Antarctica. The variety in climate means each dome has to be made with time-tested, maintenance-free and corrosion-resis­tant materials, such as proven aluminum alloys, stainless steel fasteners and silicone rubber sealants and gaskets.

Designing and building Temcor’s structures involves a great deal of skill and expertise, that’s why the company’s employees have to be the cream of the crop.

Temcor engineers are regis­tered as Professional Engineers in the United States and Canada, and all skilled field construc­tion crews use procedures and equipment devel­oped by the company.

Building up

The tower erection construction process involves the dome being erected from the center outward to the perimeter, using a center erection tower. Workers assemble the frame on the ground, lift­ing up the dome as each strut ring is completed. On average, a Temcor Aluminum Dome is as­sembled using one-third the man hours required for conventional construction.

The crane erection process consists of a dome being erected on the ground and then lifted into place with a crane. This process can save valuable construction time since the dome and tank or support walls can be built simul­taneously. A dome for the water or wastewater industry can be installed without taking the tank out of service.

Where space is limited, the in-place erection process consists of a dome being built directly on a tank or building wall. The dome is assembled from the outside toward the center.

The initial cost of alternate structures, plus the required materials and structural mainte­nance expense, typically exceed that of a Temcor structure. In total, Temcor’s all-aluminum con­struction offers cost savings versus other materi­als over the life of the structure.

www.temcor.com

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