TAMPA TANK - FLORIDA STRUCTURAL STEEL

SPARKS & REMARKS VOLUME 14, ISSUE 3 SEPTEMBER 2021

ADVANCING MODULAR CONSTRUCTION STRATEGIESAs the industries we serve gravitate toward modular construction strategies, they are further relying on TTI-FSS to help them reap the benefits. TTI-FSS provides our clients with a great deal of modular capability and experience, with proven efficiency in all components of “Off-Site Preassembly.” By modularizing portions of industrial plants, like process areas and pipe racks, TTI-FSS provides financial, scheduling, and overall quality benefits, while increasing project safety through modular construction practices.

TTI-FSS achieves these benefits by fabricating and assembling complete modules or strategic components of these projects in our “controlled environments.” TTI-FSS modules include all structural steel, equipment, piping, valves, instrumentation, insulation, heat trace, cable tray, electrical controls, and more. TTI-FSS has the expertise to perform a wide variety of testing to further ensure proper functionality before fabricated modular unites leave our facilities. The TTI-FSS quality

assurance program ensures that these units can be quickly and easily installed in the field, therefore reducing field labor requirements.

In addition to our vast experience and capabilities, TTI-FSS has some unique advantages in the modular market. For example, TTI-FSS can fabricate pressure vessels and tanks, which eliminates double shipping and handling costs between fabricators. We also have proven field teams that execute the erection of modular assemblies, both domestically and internationally. TTI-FSS clients have already expressed that this is a major benefit to them because it provides a seamless scope of work for the modular portion of their project.

Other advantages of working with TTI-FSS include our 1500’ of deep-water berth at our Port Facility in Gibsonton, Fl., that gives TTI-FSS the ability to provide extremely large, yet cost-effective shipments, including “Super Modules,” globally.

Success for Our Customers, Our Employees & Our Company2710 East 5th Avenue, Tampa, FL 33605 • 813-241-4261• www.tti-fss.comSuccess for Our Customers, Our Employees & Our Company

12781 US Highway 41 South, Gibsonton, FL 33534 • 813-241-4261• www.tti-fss.com

Several of our traditional markets are starting to grow after contracting significantly since the start of the pandemic. We are grateful to all our customers, employees, and vendors for your efforts to support our business over the past year.

In our fabrication business, we are ramping up our hiring efforts to add welders, fitters, machinists, painters, and other skilled positions. Please let us know if you have a recommendation for someone who would be a great fit for our team!

We are also investing in new equipment to increase capacity, and improve productivity, safety, and quality. As outlined in our “Work Smarter Not Harder” section this month, we recently installed an automated CNC drilling line, which eliminates labor intensive manual layout and operation for drilling and machining. This will enable us to better serve our customers in the processing of beams, angles, channels, t-sections, flat bars, plates, girders, tubes, rails, and fabricated sections. This equipment is now in service processing material for our customers, and we anticipate several other capital improvements to be installed over the next year. We look forward to highlighting these improvements as we bring them online.

We are utilizing our core competency in coordinating in-house fabrication, sub-contracts, and field erection of fabricated structures through modular construction. Please see Jamison Onstott’s article, “Advancing Modular Construction Strategies,” which details our capabilities in servicing modular markets. This is a skill that we have successfully executed for many years that is now becoming more popular for our customers.

We are expanding our erection and construction services domestically as we see more project opportunities and are

expanding the geographic areas we serve. In combining capabilities with Precision Tank, we are better able to serve our customer base with facilities in Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa, in addition to our operations in Florida. We have already been able to benefit our customers with improved pricing and lead time options as outlined in the article, “PLC Delivers For The Agricultural Market.”

While business has grown domestically, international business has been slower to return to normal, but our teams are ready and eager to serve our customers when projects come online.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, our company has faced many challenges, none greater than the toll the reduction in work has created for our business and our employees. However, these challenges have also created opportunities for us to expand our markets, serve a larger geographic area, and provide more comprehensive project scopes for our customers. Now, as we approach the last few months of 2021, we have increased our fabrication backlog and face new challenges in returning our workforce to pre-pandemic levels and beyond. Industry wide, we are also facing longer lead times and higher prices for steel material. For our customers, making purchase commitments for steel material as early as possible can help to minimize schedule impacts. It is an exciting time for our team, and we are ready and prepared to meet the challenges that lie ahead.

I look forward to getting out and seeing more of you soon!

Best regards, Corey YraguenCEO

LETTER FROM THE CEO

Corey Yraguen, CEO of TTI-FSS

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“If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time.” – Steve Jobs

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As our backlog and labor needs return to pre-Covid levels, we are faced with the continued challenge of recruiting skilled employees to meet growing demand. One of the ways we are offsetting this challenge is to utilize equipment that will reduce labor in some key areas to allow for our skilled

labor to focus on other fabrication needs. One such area is the drilling or machining of holes in material. To address this, we have recently purchased and installed a new CNC drill line that will increase our overall capabilities and efficiencies in upcoming projects.

WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER

TTI-FSS QUALIFIES FOR FMA’S HIGHEST SAFETY AWARD HONOR

TTI-FSS Field and Shop Divisions have received the FMA “Safety Award of Honor.” In addition, the Field Divisions’ safety records have qualified us for the prestigious “Rusty Demules Award,” the highest level of honor in the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International (FMA) safety awards program. This award is presented annually to one company that excels beyond Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) recordable incidence rates and demonstrates an outstanding safety culture. Though the winner has not yet been determined, it is a great honor to be considered for such a prestigious award.

TTI-FSS Field EHS Director, Donna Andersen, noted that: “At TTI-FSS, we hold ourselves to the highest standards of workplace safety for the health of our employees. This is clearly seen in the evolution of our safety program. Over the past few

years, our company has successfully moved from a traditional approach focused on learning from the past, to a more proactive one based on active assessments, employee involvement, and active safety training. It is an absolute honor to receive the FMA Safety Award of Honor. It represents validation to our employee’s safety focused efforts and behavior in their day-to-day work.”

In the continuing advancement of our safety culture, and to move to the next level, our shop and field safety divisions, along with our sister companies, Precision Tank, Brandt, Trademark Nitrogen, and Rev I Energy, have recently begun efforts in sharing our safety manuals, emergency action plans, forms, programs, and procedures with one another. Our forward-thinking outlook and approach will be critical for our companies to continue to improve on an already strong safety performance.

REPAIRS ARE MADE TO AN API 650 TANK AT PUERTO RICO FUEL TERMINAL

TTI-FSS was awarded a job in Puerto Rico by a frequent customer. The job included repairs to the inside and outside of an API 650 storage tank.

TTI-FSS API 653 experienced personnel had to determine the best way to perform tasks that included the removal of an internal aluminum floating roof, repair of several rafters damaged when hurricane Maria passed through the island in 2017, and patching and replacing several bottom plates and dome roof plates. The TTI-FSS scope of work also included providing access for the installation of a new internal floating roof.

A vote of confidence from our customer was generated by a stellar team performance, which included our high level of attention, meeting delivery times agreed upon by the owner and

TTI-FSS, meeting approved budgets, maintaining an accident-free environment, and by jobsite efficiencies demonstrated by TTI-FSS personnel.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

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TTI-FSS Increases Visibility and Markets at Industry Events

NISTM - National Institute For Storage Tank ManagementBooth No. • August 31 – September 2, 2021 • Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel • Orlando, FL

ILTA - International Liquids Terminals AssociationBooth No. 404 • October 5 – 6, 2021 • George R. Brown Center

API Storage Tank ConferenceOctober 11 – 14, 2021 • Grand Hyatt Nashville • Nashville, TN

NISTM - National Institute For Storage Tank ManagementDecember 1 – 2, 2021 • The Woodlands Waterway Marriott • The Woodlands, TX

SPARKS & REMARKS NEWSLETTER DISCLAIMER

Sparks & Remarks is an employee written newsletter for TTI-FSS and affiliate company employees, clients, and for anyone with a general interest in the public works of TTI-FSS and Precision Build Solutions, LLC. The information contained in this newsletter is not intended to advise, advocate, endorse, champion or promote any specific safety or construction related action on the part of the reader. The purpose of this newsletter is to help build pride of accomplished, a sense of team, and an esprit de corps among our employees, our partners and our clients. In reading this newsletter you agree to enjoy it for entertainment and enlightenment only and expect nothing tangible or intangible as a result and will take no specific actions based solely on the information it contains.

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TTI-FSS fabricated and shipped an accelerator and other components for a Tampa Bay area water treatment facility to expand its existing capabilities. This structure is a typical round accelerator approximately 60’ diameter x 15’ high. The base and exterior of the structure are concrete. The scope of the project included supplying all internal steel workings, including a 14’ diameter rotating impeller system. The system contains large weldments of stainless and carbon steel. Other major components include 150’ of aluminum handrailing and 450 sq ft of aluminum grating. This design is a hybrid that takes a proven, non-potable water treatment design, and adds systems and integration to support potable water treatment. TTI-FSS provided drawings and fabrication and will perform the erection on this project.

FABRICATORS CUSTOM BUILD A TAMPA BAY AREA WATER TREATMENT SYSTEM

Precision Liquid Construction (PLC), a division of Precision Tank and part of the Precision Build team, recently completed a large-scale project in Virginia, Illinois. At our customer’s request, PLC served as the general contractor for the liquid load out portion of a large-scale, site project creating a facility, large and efficient enough to consolidate several smaller surrounding facilities.

As labor shortages continue to challenge us all, our customer needed to service more clients with fewer employees. This project created nearly 40% output efficiency increase, allowing our customer to meet their overall goal of more output with reduced labor.

PLC delivered an 80’ X 138’ liquid load out and storage building including two load bays with simultaneous loading capability. We created a piping solution that eliminated the risk of chemical residue carryover from one crop to the next, improved their capacity with 109,000 gallons of crop protection chemicals storage, 100,000 gallons of fertilizer storage, and 60,000 gallons water capacity, and increased their output efficiency by nearly 40%. We also reduced their in-season restocking needs by 50%.

By providing precision onsite liquid fertilizer storage and piping, PLC-PT enabled the customer to maintain and move their crop protection chemicals safely and more efficiently.

PLC DELIVERS FOR THE AGRICULTURAL MARKET

FLORIDA GANTRY CRANE GIRDERS SHORTENED ON SITE

TTI-FSS completed work furnishing material for fabricating, delivering, and field-shortening each end of four gantry crane girders for a railway company.

The TTI-FSS team removed 12” on one end of the crane girders – which consisted of girders, platforms, beams, guardrails, and mounting plates. TTI-FSS provided materials and field labor to install new end plates on the girders and modify the existing platforms and guardrails. Upon completion of the work, the ends of the crane girders were painted onsite.

The TTI-FSS Shop and Field teams completed the work on all four cranes in a period of four weeks, on time, on budget, and with zero incidents.

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FUEL TANK REPAIRS AT TEXAS AIR FORCE BASES

TTI-FSS was hired by a general contractor to prepare shop drawings, furnish materials, fabricate, deliver and repair two existing fuel tanks located in Texas.

The scope of work included replacing all corroded fasteners, broken hinges, and patching all areas where pitting was shown based on their inspection report.

Additionally, the tanks had to be brought to current API 650 Standards. Our field teams worked to improve tank grounding systems and cathodic protection, with additional nozzles installed—based on the requirements stipulated by the customer’s required locations.

The contractor was pleased with the quality of workmanship TTI-FSS demonstrated over the course of the project, with no safety or environmental incidents, and with each tank delivered on time.

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A MAZE OF CARBON STEEL PIPING FLAWLESSLY FABRICATED IN MISSISSIPPI

The TTI-FSS domestic piping crew is currently fabricating and installing over 9,500 linear feet of carbon steel pipe in an existing warehouse in Mississippi for a first-time client. The piping ranges in size from 1/2” to 5” and is being welded to ASME B31.3 piping code.

Pipe layout/design, support design, detailing, and project management are being handled by our teams located at the TTI-FSS main office in Gibsonton, FL.

Ongoing coordination with other contractors and the client have been crucial in providing a pipe layout that is logical and provides ease of maintenance for on-site operations.

The project includes setting and installation of client provided pumps, valves, truck and rail offload stations, and tank trim equipment related to the twenty-three storage tanks that were previously built by TTI-FSS and Precision Tank.

The TTI-FSS piping crew is on schedule, on budget, and is performing the work safely. This project demonstrates the ability TTI-FSS has to provide piping design/layout, detail drawings, fabrication, and installation in a cost effective and professional manner.

TTI-FSS TEAM TALK

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Field Safety AwardsCONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU, TOM JASPER

Tom Jasper noticed a subcontractor working in an unguarded area higher than 6’ off the ground. He alerted Safety of the hazard and the need for fall protection, and the situation was immediately corrected. His keen eye possibly prevented a serious injury.

CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU, BILL PRESTON

Foreman, Bill Prescott was awarded a Safety Star for his proactive attention to safety in the design and fabrication of a new cross-frame fabrication table. The design is not only more production-efficient but was fabricated with safety in mind. By building the table at a lower floor height, and having means of egress from both sides, it allows the fabricator and welder to work from lower heights, thus limiting the risk potential for a trip and fall hazard. The worktable is also ergonomically designed to help avoid injuries. The table base plate will be painted with safety yellow stripes on all four sides to call attention to a minor step up to work platform.

CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU, RAUL FLORES

Field Foreman, Raul Flores has won the 2021 Q2 Safety Star Award for his commitment to safety excellence. Raul has shown exceptional leadership since being promoted to foreman. He takes time to talk to all employees while demonstrating strong safety awareness by quickly stopping co-workers when recognizing a potential safety issue and assists in coming up with a safe solution. On one recent occasion, he noticed an employee about to use a ladder to perform elevated work. Raul asked the employee if he inspected the ladder and his harness, and the employee said no. During ladder inspection, they found a broken bottom rung and stress cracks in the side rails. Raul removed the ladder from service and disposed of it.

CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU, CARLOS TURCIOS

The Safety Star for June 2021 was awarded to Mr. Carlos Turcios for his commitment to safety excellence. Carlos is dedicated to the pre-job safety inspections of PPE and power tools. Carlos has detected defective equipment and notified his supervisor to take proper action. Carlos is always looking out for safety of his teammates.