PROJECT:
CF&I Steel Mill Process Modernization
CATEGORY #9

Meeting the Challenge of a Difficult Job

OWNER:
CF&I Steel, L.P.

GENERAL CONTRACTOR:
ICM/EBY – A Joint Venture

ARCHITECTS/ENGINEERS:
Lockwood Green Engineering

RED HOT PERFORMANCE KEEPS CF&I ROLLING

CF&I Steel in Pueblo, Colorado is getting America back on track. Literally! CF&I began rolling out steel rails in 1881. But as the industry declined and foreign competition took away market share, domestic rail manufacturing disappeared. But, led by CF&I, a revival is taking place. With the remodeling of it’s manufacturing mill, CF&I is now one of two domestic manufacturers producing premium rail and the world’s only manufacturer capable of delivering high quality rails produced from continuous-cast "rounds" of steel.

Ludvik Electric helped in writing this new chapter in the long history of CF&I and America’s railroads. Ludvik handled the $4.5 million heavy industrial electrical installation of the mill modernization projects, which included modification of a 4-story Mannesman-Demag Caster, installation of a twin station Ladle Refining Furnace (LRF), a Vacuum Tank Degasser, and a Bloom Reheat Furnace plus complete integrated computer control for all processes.

The size and complexity of steel mill equipment made the electrical installation and hookup unusual and difficult. The magnitude was enormous – stories-tall equipment, tons of steel, kilowatts of power, 3000 hp motors, 2000 psi hydraulic lines, and 25-foot flywheels. Doing it all on a fast-track schedule in the middle of a fully operational steel mill made it all but impossible. Extreme heights. Hot steel passing by. Dirt, dust and grease virtually everywhere. A furious, record-setting pace. These are just a few of the obstacles that had to be overcome.

THE LADLE REFINING FURNACE

Imagine putting a bunch of tin cans in a pot, then sticking in a bare extension cord so they spark and fire until the cans are liquid steel. That’s how a ladle refining furnace works. Only instead of tin cans, this one handles two 125-ton ladles of molten steel at a time – the equivalent of 70 automobiles. It features an electric-arc heat source and electromagnetic stirring from outside the ladle. Ludvik installed a 350 MCM 34.5KV feeder with 500 KCM conductors plus protective devices and controls. In addition, two new 1000KVA substation transformers were installed just to furnish power to the furnace’s metal stirring system. The control system required interconnecting of field sensing devices, programmable logic controllers, control stations, local control panels and a copper data highway. A crane alignment system was installed to allow operators to precisely position ladles with the aid of lights controlled by photo cells and limit switches. A voice communications system provides contact with all key areas of the mill.

THE VACUUM TANK DEGASSER

This four-story unit removes hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen from molten steel, a key to rail quality. Ludvik’s work included installation of motor control centers, operator stations, local control panels, logic controllers, lighting, HVAC, fire alarm, heat trace and power distribution.

THE MANNESMAN-DEMAG CASTER

Modification of the caster incorporates the latest technology and design features enabling CF&I to cast high quality 12 ¼" rounds or "blooms" of continuous steel strands, the only mill in the world with this capability. Electromagnetic stirring of the individual strands improves center segregation and surface quality.

THE BLOOM REHEAT FURNACE

This piece of equipment, half a football field in size, accepts 18-foot-long cold steel blooms and reheats them to 2300 degrees F in two hours. They are then "squeezed" into 170-foot-long rails in minutes. Ludvik’s installation included re-feeding a 13.5KV substation and addition of two new 6.9KV substations through the use of new and existing manholes and duct banks. Motors, power correction capacitors, programmable logic controllers, motor control centers, fans, vents, pumps, HVAC, fire control and numerous other devices were also installed – over 6,000 terminations in total. The control system required the installation, wiring, calibration and testing of hundreds of devices. A fiber optic data highway with a redundant copper line connects the unit to a control pulpit and communication system, which includes water-cooled closed circuit television cameras. The 91-work-day installation of the furnace was the fastest on record for manufacturer ITAM.

HAZARDOUS WORK IN A FULLY OPERATIONAL MILL

Installation and modification of this type of heavy industrial equipment is difficult under any circumstances. Ludvik and other subcontractors were asked to accomplish their tasks on a fast-track and with only 21 days of downtime in the operating mill.

Conditions were about as far from ideal as a project can get. Heat, dust, dirt and grease were encountered at every turn – typical for a steel production operation. Pallets of steel on transporters called "C-tacs" measuring 50 feet long by 15 feet high and weighing 30 tons routinely move through the work area. Workers were installing equipment up to 185 feet above grade. "Slag-pops" showering sparks from red hot steel were a constant threat.

The project schedule required all trades to be working on all of the modernization projects simultaneously in order to meet the completion date. Two-a-day coordination meetings (5:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.) created a spirit of cooperation and facilitated interaction between trades.

Ludvik’s use of manpower was an important factor in meeting the challenge on the project. Full-time on-site personnel included a Project Manager, Field Engineer and superintendents. At peak periods, Ludvik worked three shifts, seven days a week with up to 100 workers on site.

The unusual nature of the installation required special attention to safety issues. Ludvik’s program included tie-off cables, stanchions and 100% fall protection, eye and foot protection, hard hats and fire retardant jackets. No nylon clothing was allowed on the jobsite. The result was zero lost time for Ludvik personnel. You had to be there to appreciate that accomplishment.

If this sounds like a difficult job, you’re on the right track. Ludvik and all members of the team met the challenge. And CF&I goes rolling along!