About

PRELOAD
We are an owner managed, highly innovative company concentrating our
efforts in engineering and constructing circular prestressed concrete
containers and process tanks for liquid and dry materials and the associated
piping, mechanical, electrical and instrumentation systems.

Engineering and Design

PRELOAD is organized to provide a full range of engineering services including
structural analyses, feasibility studies and cost evaluations.

Construction
With our highly experienced staff of project managers, construction
superintendents, field engineers and craft supervisors we will take complete
responsibility for all phases of construction.

Design/Construction
By combining the design and construction functions, PRELOAD makes it
possible for the client to place facilities in service with minimal delay as
compared with the traditional sequential approach of preparing drawings and
specifications, taking bids, awarding contracts and proceeding into
construction. The design/construct package results in time savings averaging
one third and where this translates into operating profits it should be evaluated
before proceeding in a traditional manner.

Procurement
Our engineering and construction projects have taken us to 36 nations on a
broad range of projects. This work has given PRELOAD broad experience in
worldwide procurement procedures, import‐export regulations and foreign
exchange problems.

Consulting and Research

A partial listing of projects handled by PRELOAD'S staff includes site planning
and environmental studies, heat transfer and thermal analyses, seismic
analyses, equipment development for circumferential prestressing of nuclear
containment structures and large capacity offshore containers for liquefied
natural gas. Test facilities for equipment development and investigation of
other research problems are available.
  
Circumferential prestressing reinforcement is placed on cylindrical containers or pressure vessels by
PRELOAD‐developed, self‐propelled wire‐winding machines. 0.200” (5mm) diameter wire is placed on
the cylindrical wall in a continuous helix at speeds up to 600ft. (183m) per minute. Alternatively, larger
capacity winders may be used to apply 7‐wire strand.

 
  

   

Since the mid‐1930's PRELOAD has been

recognized as the forerunner in the
engineering and construction of circular
prestressed concrete structures. One of the
major advantages of the prestressed tank is its
negligible maintenance cost. Life cycle
accounting will generally show that
maintenance on a steel tank exceeds its original
cost.

   
 

Water pollution control and waste treatment have created a demand for treatment tanks that are leak
free and corrosion resistant. PRELOAD tanks satisfy these requirements with structures that are also
economical to construct.

 
  

   

PRELOAD first confirmed the suitability

of prestressed concrete for cryogenic
storage in 1952 with the construction of
two liquefied‐oxygen storage tanks in
which the stored product was in direct
contact with the concrete. Among the
numerous applications of PRELOAD’s
cryogenic technology since that date are
the two 900,000 Bbl, (143,000‐m3)
liquefied natural gas tanks shown above.
 
At the time they were completed, these
were the largest cylindrical liquid‐  
storage containers for any service.
  

   

   

Prestressed concrete has proven to be an ideal

material not only for water storage, but also for
the storage of crude oil and petroleum distillate
products both above and below ground.
Prestressed concrete is also ideal, and more
durable than other materials, for constructing
dike walls designed to contain accidental spills
from hazardous material storage tanks.

   
   

   

 
  

In the event of an accidental spill from a liquefied‐gas container, a key factor that determines the resulting
environmental and safety impact is the pool diameter occupied by that spill. Prestressed concrete dike walls are
designed and constructed to not only confine such spills within a prescribed pool diameter, but to also withstand
the asymmetric loading, thermal shock and subsequent burnout that might potentially accompany the primary
container failure.

    
  

PRELOAD offers complete design and construction

services for prestressed or mild steel reinforced
dry material containers for such products as
fertilizers, chemicals and minerals. Our design
service on these structures extends to the
materials handling equipment.

 
 
   
  

On a truly worldwide basis PRELOAD offers the

services of a network of interrelated companies
plus its own mobile engineering‐construction
team for the execution of projects throughout the
world.

 
 
Excerpt from Preload Tank brochure, circa 1949 
  
PRELOAD’s expertise in the design and Therefore, you can confidently rely on only one
construction of storage and pressure vessels has source for full project responsibility – design,
led to the formation of a multi‐disciplined construction, testing, commissioning, operation &
design/construction team with SINGLE‐SOURCE maintenance, and warranty.
responsibility and world‐wide scope. This team’s  
zone of expertise encompasses such disciplines as:  
 
 Foundation design and construction
 Structural analysis and design
 The precasting of concrete products and
the design and installation of related
production facilities
 Piping, mechanical and electrical design
and installation management
 Procurement, Scheduling, Supervision,
and On‐Site Technical Support
 Civil, Mechanical and Electrical
Engineering
 Construction Management 
 Testing, Commissioning, Operation   
   
 
 
  

 
 
 

          
 
PRELOAD Middle East, Ltd. / PRELOAD Cryogenics, LLC.
549 South Street • Quincy, MA 02169 U.S.A.
P.O. Box 51044, 1007 EA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
TEL. +1 617 890 0600 / TEL. +1 781 738 0653
www.preload.com