Holiday break cools CCAD lines for maintenance

Like changing the oil in a car engine, Corpus Christi Army Depot used the 2019 holiday season to conduct routine maintenance across its industrial lines. “You can’t change a car’s oil while the engine is running,” said CCAD Chief of Staff Tom Bamford. “In the same way, a depot has to cool its lines and shutdown major systems before maintenance can be performed.” Down time is critical to turn off utilities to allow systems to cool or depressurize before repairing pipes or replacing parts. Maintenance on the industrial storage tanks requires the ability to completely halt efforts in order to pump out tanks and lines and properly dispose of the hazardous waste. During the maintenance shutdown, the CCAD team completed a total of 354 projects, work orders and trouble calls, restoring equipment to full operation. “Many large projects cannot be done piecemeal because so many systems are interconnected” said CCAD Director of Infrastructure Tom Weister. “CCAD staff did a great job executing projects, collaborating, and managing issues as they arose,” Weister said. “We also had about 30 employees from other production directorates who volunteered to assist with infrastructure maintenance activities, rather than take leave. They were actively engaged and provided additional value with their expertise to help resolve issues.” Weister said the maintenance shutdown will result in increased operational readiness and safety.