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Benefits of Coal Bunker Maintenance

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 Coal bunkers stand as a core storage component for power plants, mining operations, and heavy industrial factories, serving as the critical link that keeps raw material supply and production lines running seamlessly. For the steel structure coal bunkers that dominate industrial applications, regular maintenance is far more than a routine task—it’s a smart long-term investment that shields against unplanned downtime, structural damage, and unnecessary costs. Ignoring consistent care for these steel structures leads to a cascade of issues, from corrosion and material blockages to safety hazards, all of which eat into operational efficiency and profits. Prioritizing professional, regular coal bunker maintenance delivers clear, tangible benefits for industrial facilities of all sizes, and these advantages extend across every aspect of day-to-day operations and long-term asset management. Extend the Service Life of Steel Structure Coal Bunkers Steel coal bunkers endure constant wear an...
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What is a shear key in steel structures?

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 In steel structure engineering, the column base connection serves as the pivotal interface linking the superstructure to the concrete foundation below. It must safely and reliably transmit various loads from the upper structure: vertical pressure, uplift forces, bending moments, and horizontal shear forces. When horizontal shear forces become substantial, the friction alone between the column base plate and the concrete foundation surface proves insufficient to resist them. At this juncture, a critical small component becomes indispensable—the shear key.

Shear keys, as the name suggests, are structural steel connection components specifically designed to resist and transmit horizontal shear forces. Essentially, they are short steel members.

Installation location:

Typically welded or anchored to the base plate of a steel column (or other load-bearing components such as equipment supports), with its lower end embedded in the concrete foundation or concrete structure cast beneath.

Common forms:

1. Cylindrical-headed studs: Resembling short nails with enlarged heads, these are factory-welded to base plates. They represent the most widely used type with high standardisation.

2. Short sections of structural steel: Such as angle bars, T-bars, channel bars, and I-beam segments. Offering high load-bearing capacity and rigidity, they are frequently employed in heavy-duty structures or equipment foundations subjected to immense shear forces.

3. Shear plates: Thick steel plates with openings or embedded reinforcement bars, pre-embedded within concrete and welded to the column base plate.



Key Features:

It is no ordinary anchor bolt. While anchor bolts primarily resist uplift forces and secure positioning, the core mission of shear keys is to counteract horizontal shear forces. They serve as the “anchor” in structural safety, preventing slippage.

In essence: Shear keys are steel ‘bolsters’ or ‘pins’ embedded within concrete and welded to steel column bases, specifically designed to prevent horizontal displacement between steel structures and foundations.



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What is a coal bunker?

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Coal bunker , is a structure used for storing coal. Coal bunkers play an important role in thermal power plants, coal mines and coal marshalling stations. Depending on the specific application scenario and design, there are various types of coal bunkers, such as circular coal bunkers, square coal bunkers and open coal yards. Safety Management of coal bunkers Preventing spontaneous combustion of coal: Since coal itself contains certain moisture and volatile substances, long-term exposure to the air may lead to spontaneous combustion, so the safe management of coal bunkers is of great significance in preventing spontaneous combustion of coal. Ensure the quality of coal: coal in the coal bunker usually needs to be stored for a long time, if not managed properly, it may lead to the decline in the quality of coal, such as sulphurisation, weathering and other phenomena, so it is necessary to ensure the quality of coal by strengthening the safety management of the coal bunker. Improve the eco...
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What is the difference between a single-layer reticulated shell and a double-layerreticulated shell?

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Structural Steel Bolting Balls: Connecting the Future, Securing the Cornerstone

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In the field of steel structure , bolted ball, as an innovative choice of connecting node, is gradually becoming the preferred solution in modern buildings and industrial facilities due to its advantages of easy installation, removable and reorganisable, and low maintenance cost. Compared with traditional welded balls, bolted balls not only simplify the construction process and improve efficiency, but also give the structure greater flexibility and sustainability, which is an indispensable and important component in modern steel structure projects. The core concept of the bolted ball connection technology is to use high-strength bolts to closely connect the components to form a stable and reliable node structure. Compared with welded ball, bolted ball connection does not require on-site welding and avoids thermal stress, deformation and weld quality problems that may arise during the welding process, thus improving the overall stability and safety of the structure. In addition, the bo...
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