Industrial Steam
Cold Weather Concrete
There are several issues ready mix concrete producers have to deal with when pouring in cold weather. These may include but are not limited to the following: freezing temperatures, imposed loads during construction, and high thermal stress, all of which may lead to cracking and reduced strength.
Even with the harsh and sometimes bitter cold, there are many things producers can do. These include providing sufficient insulation blankets, using insulated forms (don’t place concrete on frozen subgrade), and using heated enclosures to block wind and conserve heat. Another option is to use heated batch water in accelerating early concrete strength. By using hot water in the mix, producers can batch mix, transport, place, cure, and protect concrete efficiently and effectively during freezing temperatures. Water heaters can be used for once through applications or with a storage tank system where a large volume of hot water in an insulated tank can be maintained at a temperature of up to 190°F. The storage tank system meets the needs of larger customers with larger on demand applications.
Using the proper water temperature increases strength and greatly reduces cracking due to shrinkage. For this reason, many federal, state, and local municipalities specify exact pouring temperatures. An instantaneous water heater can help meet these specifications. Using hot water eliminates chemicals and allows faster screeding, creating a better finish. Using a water heater can increase productivity and profits while reducing labor costs. Along with Sioux’s standard water heater models, we can custom build units to fit your specific needs.
For extreme freezing temperatures, a steam generator or forced air aggregate
heatercan heat up rock and sand aggregates to work in conjunction with a water heater to get your freshly mixed concrete temperature up to the correct specification. The Sioux Steam-Flo® steam generator is ideal for heating aggregates, material bunkers, and overhead material storage bins, while the Sioux Aggre-Flo® aggregate heater provides dry forced air heat, giving you precise temperature control for with all types of aggregates. The Steam-Flo® or Aggre-Flo®, along with a Sioux water heater, helps you keep consistent concrete specs for your ready mix concrete operation during the coldest of temperatures.
Equipment For Precise Temperature Control Of Precast Concrete Products
Sioux PWP Series precast batch water heating equipment has been the standard system for use over the past 40 years in precast pipe, vault, or block operations where hot water is needed on a continuous basis. For precast batch water cooling equipment, Sioux offers the best brand of water chillers, Carrier. Compared to utilizing ice to cool concrete, Sioux/Carrier water chillers reduce chilling costs by up to 95%. Sioux/Carrier water chillers allow for precise control of water temperature, ensuring consistent concrete and quality. Sioux/Carrier air-cooled water chiller systems are available as stationary or portable systems with capacities for any size operation.
Precast concrete curing equipment for precise curing of precast concrete products is a requirement for certain precast producers.
The Sioux Steam-Flo® steam generator is ideal for accelerating the curing process in precast pipe, prestress, block and dry or wet cast operations. Accelerated curing can increase production output by up to 5 times vs. not using steam. This will allow producers to meet contract requirements without increasing the size of the facility or the number of forms. Additionally, the Sioux Kiln Control system add on allows you to control soak time, ramp up time and temperature, hold time and temperature, and ramp down time and temperature in your curing chambers.
Rail Tank Car Heating Systems
The Steam-Flo®steam generator is a great solution for heating tank cars with low pressure steam. These industrial steam generators can produce up to 3,450 lbs. (1,564 kg) of steam per hour allowing you to heat multiple cars at once.
Sioux has vast experience with providing low pressure steam for heating food, beverage, petroleum, and chemical products. We love sharing this experience using low pressure steam with operators who are looking for a safe, efficient, and cost effective way to heat their products. Sioux can help calculate the time it takes to heat your specific substance to the desired temperature for unloading or transloading. Use the form below to get heating times for your specific product.
Thawing & Deicing Solutions
Sioux manufactures a line of thawing and de-icing equipment such as fuel-fired
snow thawing steam cleaners, pressure
washers, and combination units. These models remove snow and ice, grease, oil, dust, and grime quickly and easily.
Steam cleaners and steam generators are ideal for melting ice dams, thawing valves, culverts, hydrants, tanks, piping systems, and drains. Low-pressure steam generators can be used for thawing railroad tank cars to accelerate the removal of viscous contents.
Ice melting models are available as self-contained units with an integrated hot water pressure washer or steam cleaner, gasoline or diesel engine, and water tank on a heavy-duty skid or over-the-road trailer. Mobile units are excellent for cleaning, thawing and de-icing at remote locations where there is no water, fuel, or electrical source.
For over 2 decades Intersteam has been an Authorized Sioux Equipment Distributor in Ontario.
We supply specialty Steam Generators and Water Heaters for the Concrete and Railcar Industries as well as Manufacturing and Municipal Culvert Steaming Markets. We are able to help size and recommend the right equipment , and tailor a solution for your specific needs. Our Director of Technical Sales, Sean, is expertly able to assist you with your project. Please contact us today for more information.