Houston Cement – Greenfield Import, Storage and Loadout Terminal

Matrix PDM Engineering partnered with Continental Construction Co., Inc. to deliver an import terminal design to handle 1.5 million tpy of cement. Matrix PDM provided study phase services, exploring site layout and design concepts, and multidiscipline preliminary and final design, including silo design, control system programming and commissioning for the greenfield facility.

Domes were originally considered for storage, but Matrix PDM worked with the client to identify silo storage as a more optimal solution due to the reduced energy consumption and handling time for truck loadout. The final facility design featured 100,000 tons of storage, 545-foot dock capable of handling Panamax vessels, and a fully automated and contained 1,900 tph inbound conveyor belt system, bucket elevator system and air slide system.

Additionally, three truck loadout lanes are located beneath the silos. By implementing an advanced control algorithm, truck loading times are optimized while maintaining a high precision fill weight. Once the driver has positioned the truck under the loading spout, the systems control the material flow using real-time monitoring and variable gate positioning. The complete process takes about five minutes from the time the truck pulls onto the scale until the bill of lading is printed. Additionally, the cement inventory is automatically monitored in the onsite office building, allowing for effective supply chain management.