As part of the expansion of its production site in Petit-Rechain, Saint-Gobain has chosen an eco-friendly firewater storage system.
Goal: to avoid any risk of contamination in the event of a fire, both when using sprinklers and during a fire brigade intervention.
Partnership from the design stage
Originally, the earthworks company had contacted Benoît Gubbels Deschacht for the delivery of a concrete or single-wall PE storage tank. It soon became apparent that this solution did not meet Saint-Gobain's requirements. In fact, production on the site uses aggressive synthetic resins that can attack PVC and compromise the integrity of a conventional tank. Vincent Brehl, account manager at Deschacht, consulted with the project owner, main contractor Houyoux Constructions SA, and the earthworks contractor. Goal: to consolidate the end customer's expectations in terms of accessibility, durability, and safety. This proactive approach resulted in a zero-risk solution: the choice of double-wall HDPE, with very high chemical resistance.
Custom technical solutions
Together with our sister company COLLINET, we designed and manufactured custom solutions:
- Two double-walled HDPE tanks of 5,000 and 40,000 liters, equipped with level sensors for monitoring maintenance and emptying. Because these tanks are designed to remain empty so that they can immediately collect firewater in the event of an incident.
- A custom HDPE inspection chamber, equipped with a motorized Georg Fischer valve. In the event of an alarm, the operator can close the normal network and activate the discharge to the storage tanks with a single simple operation.
- Additional products (PP pipes, Faserfix Point gullies) to ensure the collection and drainage of the water.
Thanks to smoothly organized logistics, the installation of the tanks went particularly efficiently: in less than an hour they were in the trench, after which only the connections remained to be done.
Expertise, safety and sustainability
The integration of these solutions was made possible by Collinet's custom work, which handles studies, 3D design, production, and internal quality control. Mohamed, from the engineering department, provided all plans and technical 3D renderings, allowing the client to visualize the installations exactly before production.
A ready-to-use and scalable solution
By taking a proactive approach, Saint-Gobain now has a reliable, sustainable system that is perfectly tailored to the risks of the chemical industry. This project proves that our engineering department responds to technical needs on-site and proposes innovative and safe solutions for safety and the environment.
