We have just completed 6 sets of the world’s largest Stainless Steel Flexible Vee’s for the new Royal Adelaide Hospital in South Australia.
They will be installed where the 24″ pipes cross the building’s structural expansion joint and allow for a +/- 6 1/4″ movement both in and out, up and down or transversely, should an earthquake shake the structure so it creates these extreme movements. Our Australian representative, Mason-Mercer Australia, led by Andrew Pearson, worked with our design team and the project engineers in all phases of designing this system.
We used 316L Stainless for the corrugated hose, because of the corrosive content of the water in that part of the world. The braid in that diameter is referred to as “Ribbon Braid”, because the normal wire braid is not available in those diameters. Instead of braided wire, it consists of thin strips of interwoven 304 Stainless.
We split the Vee at the base to a flanged, bolted connection because of what would have been terrible shipping and handling problems. The contractor can either hoist them to the roof before bolting or fit them in position. Each assembly weighs close to a ton. While we are enclosing the certification drawing for the job, the size of these enormous Vee’s makes no impression on the drawing, but the photograph of the writer standing under the arch in the factory tells the story. I am 6 ft. tall and the arch towers over me. While we will not talk about my waistline, the 24″ hose outside diameter is well in excess of that, as well.
Our Shop did a terrific job of getting these to the customer in only 4 weeks. I’ve been involved in the flexible connector business for nearly 40 years, and I can tell you that no other company than Mason Industries could have done it in that time. It was really incredible for me to watch this project come together!
Andrew Pearson, Robyn Pearson and Rhys Main
We inventory a tremendous variety of flexible connectors for just about every application, and we stock through 14″ diameter. However, when you start talking about 24″, it is another ball game and we are proud to say that this project reinforces the idea that Mason Industries can do anything in the way of flexible hose assemblies and expansion joints.
We asked you before, but are not ashamed to be asking again – Please send your inquiries for anything that has to do with either thermal of seismic moments no matter how crazy you believe the requirements might be. We’ll put our experienced design team together to work and develop a solution. That’s what we are here for!
Thank you for reading this article and looking at the photo, as well as the certification drawing attached.
Mark Laboe
Manager, Stainless Steel Division
Mason Industries, Inc.
