LP Gas, July 2014

tanks The only way to deliver the tanks to the mountaintop was via a gravel service road Continued from page 26 Highland Tank Manufacturing Co Inc of Stoystown Pa manufactured the custom sized tanks because using three 18000 gallon tanks would have provided storage for more propane than was needed and one 30000 gallon tank would have been too large to haul up to the top of the mountain Once I realized Highland could make any size as long as its 9 foot 2 inches in diameter it just became a matter of figuring out what our expected use was for the year and getting two tanks made to accommodate that says Jim Shands Killingtons facilities manager The plan Highland Tank could have built any size tank as long as the diameter remained standard because only so many diameters of tank heads are available according to Pete Palladino Highland Tanks regional sales manager for New England The company which is capable of designing manufacturing and installing tanks says about 4 percent of its business is in propane but its growing rapidly The most popular sized tanks it makes are 30000 50000 and 60000 gallons Killington wanted to have equalsized tanks Palladino says I said we will build any size you want Just because the industrys always done 18s and they bump all the way to 30s to us it doesnt matter Fortunately the company was up to the challenge as it had just completed a new 400 foot long production facility in Manheim Pa We opened the doors about 30 days prior Palladino says So these 22000 gallon tanks went through a brand new facility thats totally geared up for lifting heavy weight with 40 ton cranes Killington had worked with Highland previously buying much smaller double walled tanks from it for years The resort placed the order for the tanks the day Palladino first met with it to discuss the project because work had to be completed before the first snowfall and the start of ski season Within 14 weeks we had the tanks on the top of the mountain Palladino says We didnt mess around Because Killington prides itself on being the first resort in the area to open for the season the goal was to have the tanks installed and the propane delivered in early October Besides it would not have been possible to transport and fill the tanks once the snow began to fall The delivery was one of the most unique things Ive ever experienced Palladino says And it was smooth once everything was figured out Delivery via aerial crane was ruled out because each tank weighed 25 tons making them too heavy to transport this way A winding gravel service road used only during the off season provided the only access to the mountaintop Although Highland has its own vehicles to transport the products it manufactures a conventional truck could not make it to the top due to the sharp turns and steep incline So it called in a company accustomed to making specialty deliveries such as massive wind turbines in Vermont Instead a unique skidder type vehicle got the job done Before we even built propane tanks we were delivering 50000 gallon oil tanks to universities and colleges Palladino says So we have experience with each states requirements and the logistics of moving large tanks In this case for example extra time was built into the project to ensure the tanks arrived at their destination on time Drivers showed up the evening before making the trip because transporting super loads 30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset is prohibited in Vermont Once the two tanks made it to the top of the mountain R H White Construction Cos of Auburn Mass handled the underground installation By then excavation was complete They had all their pipe in and were just waiting for our tanks Palladino says They just had to make that last 25 foot 30 foot 40 foot connection this pipe run was hundreds of feet He says the coating system and the piping chamber made this job unique from a manufacturing standpoint Highland Tank used a 75 mil external Continued on page 30 28 LPGas July 2014 www LPGasmagazine com