Research&
Consultancy
Projects
AIT Consulting in coordination with ACECOMS provides expertise and services over a broad spectrum of areas covering Technology, Engineering, Environment, Development and Management. Some current and completed projects in structural engineering focusing on performance-based design reviews, structural design and evaluation, and peer review are summarized below.
Structural Peer Review of the 32m-high Buddha Statue in Kanchanaburi,Thailand
Structural Analysis and Design for Extension of PATKOL Stack
Client
Client
The Crown Property Bureau, Government of
PATKOL Public Company Limited
Thailand Location Project Description:
Kanchanaburi, Thailand 32-meter steel Buddha statue on a 13-meter high pedestal
Location
Bangkok, Thailand
Project Description:
Extension of 20-meter steel stack PATKOL Public Company Limited, founded as Patanakolkarn Company Limited in 1965, is an engineering company dedicated to providing the best possible products and services and is a leader in manufacturing of a wide range of industrial equipment and machinery in Thailand. PATKOL’s Petrochemical Project Business Unit (PP) was established in 2009, to de-
In remembrance of two of the world’s tallest Buddha statues destroyed over
sign, construct, and install engineering
a decade ago by the Taliban in Bamiyan province, Afghanistan, Her Majesty
procurement construction works. PAT-
the Queen of Thailand Sirikit, outlined plans to build a 32-meter Buddha in
KOL is well-known for the construction
Kanchanaburi province, about 100 kilometers west of Bangkok. The Buddha
and installation of PTT’s 135 meter stand-
statue, called Phra Phuttha Metta Prachathai Trailokkanart Khanthararat Anu-
alone steel stack located at PTT Mapta-
sorn will be installed on a 13-meter-high pedestal and will be housed inside
phut Rayong. PATKOL’S other products
the Thip Sukhontharam Temple's 300 rai grounds. The Buddha statue will be
provided in its PP Business Unit include
made up of a steel frame skeleton and covered by gold-plated sheets. The
pressure vessels (stainless, special metal,
whole project will take about four years to complete and will eventually be
and steel), heat exchangers (shell & tube),
publicly open for Buddhist worship and a tourist attraction.
storage tanks, steel stacks, as well as installation and piping including maintenance or modification.
The Crown Property Bureau of the Government of Thailand awarded AIT Consulting a structural peer review project for the Buddha Statue, with Dr.
ACECOMS was engaged by PATKOL Public Company Limited to carry out the
Pennung Wanitchai, Associate Professor, Structural Engineering, AIT, as the
analysis and design of one of PTT’s existing steel stack structures located at
main expert for the project. The main objectives of the work carried out was
PTT Maptaphut Rayong. The plan was to extend the existing 20m steel stack
to review the structural system and design of the steel skeleton in terms of
by a total length of 30m. During the analysis, it was found that the steel stack
safety and stability of the structural system and its foundation against vari-
could be at possible risk for across wind vibration due to the vortex shedding
ous temperatures, extreme wind, and earthquakes. The scope included wind
effect. For this reason, helical vanes were included in the design and con-
tunnel tests, structural analysis, and design review which were carried out
struction of the steel stack to reduce the any possible adverse effects caused
using the current state-of-the-art in terms of methodologies, techniques,
by across wind vibration.
technologies, and tools.
48 Technology | January 2013
