(Above)
A view of the Fractionating Towers of the Distillation unit and part of the Butadiene Hydrogenation and Polymerisation Unit.
Right
A view of the Hydrocarbon Fractionation Unit.
Below
Control panel of the Hydrocarbon Fractionation Separation Unit.
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Gas
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manufacturers and British Shipyards in the last two years have amounted to more than £65,000,000. This huge expendi- ture will be financed entirely by the Royal Dutch Shell Group. whose cash resources have been strengthened in the past two years by new capital (equity and debenture) raised in London, the Hague and New York.
Chemicals from petroleum, as produced at Shell's Stanlow Plant, can meet the world's solvent requirements and so release the product of food bearing land for its natural use. Again, the production of synthetic detergents, which is being made on an increasing scale from this plant, releases valuable oils and fats required for human consumption, which are, al present. used in the manufacture of soap. By the expanding produc- tion of chemicals from petroleum, particularly synthetic deter- gents, the amount of edible oils and fats hitherto made avail- able for cleansing agents can be substantially reduced. Seen against a background of rising population and increasing demands on available food supplies, Britain's new industry is a vital asset in the survival of European economy.
ADMINISTRATION BUILDINGS
The group of buildings consists of three buildings, a Laboratory and Office Block, a Canteen, and an Ablution Block in which are situated the showers and changing rooms.
The Laboratory is to control and maintain the quality of the chemicals produced from petroleum, and houses.-
Chemical and Gas Analysis, Infra-Red, Fractional Dis- tillation and Routine testing departments. The offices provide the necessary accommodation for the Engineering, Chemical, Technological and Clerical Staff, for the Plant.
The Laboratory and Office Block is planned to allow an ultimate extension of 100% on the ground floor plus a further first floor extension over the whole of the final ground floor development.
The Canteen provides dining facilities for personnel and morning and afternoon refreshments.
The Showers and Changing Rooms provide locker accom- modation and washing facilities for personnel.
Site
The approximately triangular site is bounded on one side by the Birkenhead-Helsby railway and by the process areas of the plant on the other. The "base" of the triangular site is bounded by a pipe track.
It was required that the apex of the triangle which lies almost on the axis of the main approach road should contain the focal point of the Laboratory and office block. A common central circular entrance hall was therefore planned on the axis of the approach road, in the required position, giving access to the laboratory and office wings, which are parallel to the sides of the triangle and with the laboratory placed nearest to the plant for convenient access. The Canteen and Showers were planned in the 'base' of the triangular site. The showers nearest to the railway, by which the majority of personnel arrive and depart, and the Canteen nearest the Process Area.
Planning
The plan form of the Laboratory and office block was largely dictated by the conditions given in the foregoing section. The main access to the main building is via the circular entrance hall. Secondary access to the office wing is from the end of the present wing. The delivery of samples to the laboratory is via a well ventilated sample receiving bay situated at the end of the laboratory wing, which houses T'he evaporators for discharging volatile waste materials. samples then pass to either the Main Laboratory or to the Distillation Room which open directly from the Sample receiving bay, and from these departments small samples are referred to the other departments for further tests, and examination.
The canteen presented 1 rather unique problem in planning three separate dining rooms around a comparatively small kitchen, each with a separate entrance and each having self-service counters. This has been overcome quite satis- factorily and the dining rooms are planned on three sides of the kitchen. The food storage and preparation rooms placed on the remaining side of the kitchen and are adjacent to a service road.
are
The general layout of the changing and ablution room was the result of a desire to have a flexible arrangement of 'dirty' and 'clean' lockers. Bays of lockers were therefore placed on two sides of the main washing space which houses five ablution fountains; this arrangement allows for great flexibility in allotting numbers of 'dirty' and 'clean' lockers.
walls.
Construction
The buildings have ferro-concrete frames, and 9′′ panel Ferro-concrete frames were used for two reasons: (1) The need for economy in the use of Steel.
(2) The flexibility of reinforced concrete for future
extension.
The column foundations are built on pedestal bases; and the external walls are carried on foundation beams. The external walls are faced with Ravenhead Golden Brown Rustics.
The floors are suspended and homogeneous with the foundation beams. Service ducts below floor level are in water proofed reinforced concrete.
Internal partition walls are in 44′′ reinforced brickwork, owing to the necessity for suspending certain types of fairly heavy equipment from them.
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