WATERPROOFING CONCRETE WATER STORAGE TANKS

24 Jun.,2024

 

WATERPROOFING CONCRETE WATER STORAGE TANKS

Author Message Wayne Yancey
Senior Member
Username: wayne_yancey

Post Number: 493
Registered: 01-


Posted on Thursday, October 27, - 10:20 am:    Project has 3 concrete water storage tanks in the cellar of the building.

Question 1: Does someone have experience for the preferred method of waterproofing the interior concrete surfaces of the tanks (6 surfaces)? Up for consideration is crystalline concrete waterproofing from Kryton, Xypex, Hycrete, etc. Anyone have good or bad experience with this method? Is there a manufacturer of surface applied waterproofing products for potable water storage tanks.

Question 2: Each tank will have a top hatch and a vertical access ladder which will be submerged partially or entirely in the potable water. What is the best choice for the ladder material? Stainless steel, aluminum, hot-dip galvanized?

Thanks

Wayne Lynn Javoroski FCSI CCS LEED® AP SCIP Affiliate
Senior Member
Username: lynn_javoroski

Post Number:
Registered: 07-


Posted on Thursday, October 27, - 10:34 am:    I think my first call would be to my Tnemec rep. I know they do outdoor water storage tanks (for which towns in Wisconsin are named). David E Lorenzini
Senior Member
Username: deloren

Post Number: 126
Registered: 04-


Posted on Thursday, October 27, - 11:48 am:    Wayne, I had a similar application for a GSA project a few years ago under MF95. The tank was used for harvesting rainwatter, and was located in a basement. The tank was concrete and work included patching of cracks.

The preferred product was International Metalizing Corporation (www.intmetl.com) IMC 20-201 100 percent solids, two-component Epoxy Tank Coating.

Comparible products were:
1. Epoxy Systems' Product (www.epoxy.com); #250 100% Solids Epoxy Coating.
2. Fox Industries Engineered Products (www.foxind.com): FX-498 Hydro-Ester Epoxy Mastic High Build Coating.

I have no idea what their experience was. David Lorenzini, FCSI, CCS
Architectural Resources Co. Richard L Matteo, AIA, CSI, CCS
Senior Member
Username: rlmat

Post Number: 452
Registered: 10-
Posted on Thursday, October 27, - 11:52 am:    I would also try Carboline. They have a number of tank coatings.
I'd say stainless type 316 or 316L for the ladder Nathan Woods, CCCA, LEED AP
Senior Member
Username: nwoods

Post Number: 396
Registered: 08-


Posted on Thursday, October 27, - 11:56 am:    I use Xypex a lot in architectural walls, decks, and footings, but not as a primary system. I would absolutely encourage you to spec it into the concrete mix, but for potable water tanks, you will want a primary inner liner. I have seen tanks with epoxy coatings, and also have seen sray rubberized applications such as Liquid Boot (are they still in buisiness?). However, all of these features are outside my area of expertise. I'm just posting to suggest some ideas to help. Wayne Yancey
Senior Member
Username: wayne_yancey

Post Number: 494
Registered: 01-


Posted on Thursday, October 27, - 01:30 pm:    Thanks all. I am good to go with these waterproofing recommendations.

Any thoughts on the material for the vertical ladder? Wayne Yancey
Senior Member
Username: wayne_yancey

Post Number: 495
Registered: 01-


Posted on Thursday, October 27, - 01:33 pm:    Nathan,

Will now. Good idea.

Thanks,

Wayne Gerard Sanchis
Senior Member
Username: gerard_sanchis

Post Number: 52
Registered: 10-


Posted on Thursday, October 27, - 02:44 pm:    Wayne,

We&#;ve specified a few of those and have on the boards a large project with several large water tanks similar to yours, except that they&#;re on suspended slabs.

L.A. requires fire water tanks for large projects and we&#;ve tried cementitious with poor results; the crystalline coatings will not bridge cracks. We also tried fluid-applied urethane membranes (pure urethanes, not the modified types) and it worked well until the full body suit (that applicators have to wear when working in a tank) failed in one application and the applicator had to be pulled out of the tank fast so he could live another day.

Since that incident, we specify drop-in liners. They are attached at the top, above the water line, and are independent of the substrate so even if the latter moves, the liner remains watertight.

Straight PVC works well if the water is not contaminated. For the large project mentioned above, we&#;re storing grey water which may contain fats and oils (a no-no for straight PVC) so we specified an ethylene interpolymer alloy (EIA) with a minimum a minimum thickness of 40-mils.

The ladder should be stainless steel &#; Type 302/304 works well, and should rest on several layers of PVC (do not anchor thru the membrane if you can) and be attached at the top above the liner and half way down thru the liner (that&#;s the tricky part and careful detailing is needed).

I hope this helps. Gerard Sanchis
Senior Member
Username: gerard_sanchis

Post Number: 53
Registered: 10-


Posted on Thursday, October 27, - 02:49 pm:    Wayne,

I forgot to mention that, for critical areas, you may want to specify a leak detection system under the liner. Anne Whitacre, FCSI CCS
Senior Member
Username: awhitacre

Post Number:
Registered: 07-


Posted on Thursday, October 27, - 02:59 pm:    I would probably go with either a fiberglass or type 316 SS ladder -- I've had too many weird corrosion issues with 302/304 SS that is continually submerged. Agree with the comments about crystalline waterproofing -- they won't bridge cracks and in a seismic zone, you're going to get them; and if there are other options, those options will always be better. I would call Tnemec too -- they started out waterproofing concrete ("cement" ) water tanks and they know that market better than anyone else. Call Torin. anon (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Posted on Thursday, October 27, - 03:23 pm:    I would steer clear of crystalline and Tnemec and Carboline for this application and instead go with a CIM system (I used CIM for a very similar condition - it is the BOMB).

Looks like CIM has been updated/replaced with a new number, so you'll have to get in touch with them to find out what they recommend.

http://www.cimindustries.com/products/cim-product Jim Sliff
Senior Member
Username: jim_sliff

Post Number: 103
Registered: 08-


Posted on Monday, October 31, - 05:30 pm:    Agreed a crystalline system won't cut it. I'd go with a fluid-applied polyurea liner at roughly 100 mils. I've seen concrete tanks of many types lined with everything from epoxy to drop-in or heat-welded liners and polyurea seems to provide the best combination of strength, elongation, no seams and life cycle cost.

Yes, as with urethanes supplied-air hoods must be worn by the applicators but that's completely normal for qualified applicators (I've never seen "full body suits" required, which would be interpreted as equivalent to a hard-hat diver suit - a fully enclosed, externally-supplied "environment"). Literally ALL fluid-system tank lining work has to be done using supplied-air systems; this includes everything from basement chillers to steel water tanks. All coatings I can think of displace oxygen and use of supplied air is a day-to-day part of the industrial coating trade. If a drop-in or heat-welded liner also used any type of solvent adhesive I'd require the same air-supply and retraction equipment as I would for a fluid-applied system.

Failure of air hood systems is extremely rare, but can happen - but retraction systems must legally be in place and manned/monitored so if a failure occurs the system users are out of the danger zone in seconds with no action on their part.

It's considered less of a danger than swingstage work, where out-of-date or worn out harnesses, illegal rigging and such often go unnoticed. Gerard Sanchis
Senior Member
Username: gerard_sanchis

Post Number: 56
Registered: 10-


Posted on Monday, October 31, - 05:41 pm:    As usual Jim's advice and experience is appreciated.

The PVC liners, unless they exceed a certain size, can be prefabricated in one piece and pre-tested. If not, they're heat-welded once in the tank with seldom more than one seam; I don't know if the heat welding consumes much oxygen, but if it does the quantity must be small.

I actually like the seamless polyuera, but when burnt once I seldom re-visit the same material. Gerard Sanchis
Senior Member
Username: gerard_sanchis

Post Number: 57
Registered: 10-


Posted on Monday, October 31, - 05:47 pm:    I just noticed that Wayne mentions 6 surfaces. The sixth is the underside of the tank cover which is not in contact with water but gets a lot of condensation.

When using a liner, we specify crystalline WP for the cover. I imagine that if poyurea or other liquid-applied WP is used, it's going to be difficult to spray overhead and the applicator would have to roll the material in multiple coats to achieve the required mill thickness. The same difficulty applies to same extent to troweled-on WP. ken hercenberg
Senior Member
Username: khercenberg

Post Number: 97
Registered: 12-
Posted on Tuesday, November 01, - 05:20 pm:    I've used Tnemec Series 264 on similar projects with no problem. With regards to applicator safety (granted that this is means and methods and accidents do happen), that presents another reason to use a product line that requires that knowledgeable applicators be involved.

CIM coatings were very good in immersion conditions in the past but I can't find CIM on their website any more. I've never used any of their other products.

Whatever product you use, make sure it's designed for immersion service. Temperature can come into play as well; freezing conditions even moreso.

Why You Should Install a Concrete Fire Tank

**Please note Versatile Tanks DO NOT repair water tanks**

WATERPROOFING CONCRETE WATER STORAGE TANKS

Author Message Wayne Yancey
Senior Member
Username: wayne_yancey

Post Number: 493
Registered: 01-


Posted on Thursday, October 27, - 10:20 am:    Project has 3 concrete water storage tanks in the cellar of the building.

Question 1: Does someone have experience for the preferred method of waterproofing the interior concrete surfaces of the tanks (6 surfaces)? Up for consideration is crystalline concrete waterproofing from Kryton, Xypex, Hycrete, etc. Anyone have good or bad experience with this method? Is there a manufacturer of surface applied waterproofing products for potable water storage tanks.

Question 2: Each tank will have a top hatch and a vertical access ladder which will be submerged partially or entirely in the potable water. What is the best choice for the ladder material? Stainless steel, aluminum, hot-dip galvanized?

Thanks

Wayne Lynn Javoroski FCSI CCS LEED® AP SCIP Affiliate
Senior Member
Username: lynn_javoroski

Post Number:
Registered: 07-


Posted on Thursday, October 27, - 10:34 am:    I think my first call would be to my Tnemec rep. I know they do outdoor water storage tanks (for which towns in Wisconsin are named). David E Lorenzini
Senior Member
Username: deloren

Post Number: 126
Registered: 04-


Posted on Thursday, October 27, - 11:48 am:    Wayne, I had a similar application for a GSA project a few years ago under MF95. The tank was used for harvesting rainwatter, and was located in a basement. The tank was concrete and work included patching of cracks.

The preferred product was International Metalizing Corporation (www.intmetl.com) IMC 20-201 100 percent solids, two-component Epoxy Tank Coating.

Comparible products were:
1. Epoxy Systems' Product (www.epoxy.com); #250 100% Solids Epoxy Coating.
2. Fox Industries Engineered Products (www.foxind.com): FX-498 Hydro-Ester Epoxy Mastic High Build Coating.

I have no idea what their experience was. David Lorenzini, FCSI, CCS
Architectural Resources Co. Richard L Matteo, AIA, CSI, CCS
Senior Member
Username: rlmat

Post Number: 452
Registered: 10-
Posted on Thursday, October 27, - 11:52 am:    I would also try Carboline. They have a number of tank coatings.
I'd say stainless type 316 or 316L for the ladder Nathan Woods, CCCA, LEED AP
Senior Member
Username: nwoods

Post Number: 396
Registered: 08-


Posted on Thursday, October 27, - 11:56 am:    I use Xypex a lot in architectural walls, decks, and footings, but not as a primary system. I would absolutely encourage you to spec it into the concrete mix, but for potable water tanks, you will want a primary inner liner. I have seen tanks with epoxy coatings, and also have seen sray rubberized applications such as Liquid Boot (are they still in buisiness?). However, all of these features are outside my area of expertise. I'm just posting to suggest some ideas to help. Wayne Yancey
Senior Member
Username: wayne_yancey

Post Number: 494
Registered: 01-


Posted on Thursday, October 27, - 01:30 pm:    Thanks all. I am good to go with these waterproofing recommendations.

Any thoughts on the material for the vertical ladder? Wayne Yancey
Senior Member
Username: wayne_yancey

Post Number: 495
Registered: 01-


Posted on Thursday, October 27, - 01:33 pm:    Nathan,

Will now. Good idea.

Thanks,

Wayne Gerard Sanchis
Senior Member
Username: gerard_sanchis

Post Number: 52
Registered: 10-


Posted on Thursday, October 27, - 02:44 pm:    Wayne,

We&#;ve specified a few of those and have on the boards a large project with several large water tanks similar to yours, except that they&#;re on suspended slabs.

L.A. requires fire water tanks for large projects and we&#;ve tried cementitious with poor results; the crystalline coatings will not bridge cracks. We also tried fluid-applied urethane membranes (pure urethanes, not the modified types) and it worked well until the full body suit (that applicators have to wear when working in a tank) failed in one application and the applicator had to be pulled out of the tank fast so he could live another day.

Since that incident, we specify drop-in liners. They are attached at the top, above the water line, and are independent of the substrate so even if the latter moves, the liner remains watertight.

Straight PVC works well if the water is not contaminated. For the large project mentioned above, we&#;re storing grey water which may contain fats and oils (a no-no for straight PVC) so we specified an ethylene interpolymer alloy (EIA) with a minimum a minimum thickness of 40-mils.

The ladder should be stainless steel &#; Type 302/304 works well, and should rest on several layers of PVC (do not anchor thru the membrane if you can) and be attached at the top above the liner and half way down thru the liner (that&#;s the tricky part and careful detailing is needed).

I hope this helps. Gerard Sanchis
Senior Member
Username: gerard_sanchis

Post Number: 53
Registered: 10-


Posted on Thursday, October 27, - 02:49 pm:    Wayne,

I forgot to mention that, for critical areas, you may want to specify a leak detection system under the liner. Anne Whitacre, FCSI CCS
Senior Member
Username: awhitacre

Post Number:
Registered: 07-


Posted on Thursday, October 27, - 02:59 pm:    I would probably go with either a fiberglass or type 316 SS ladder -- I've had too many weird corrosion issues with 302/304 SS that is continually submerged. Agree with the comments about crystalline waterproofing -- they won't bridge cracks and in a seismic zone, you're going to get them; and if there are other options, those options will always be better. I would call Tnemec too -- they started out waterproofing concrete ("cement" ) water tanks and they know that market better than anyone else. Call Torin. anon (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Posted on Thursday, October 27, - 03:23 pm:    I would steer clear of crystalline and Tnemec and Carboline for this application and instead go with a CIM system (I used CIM for a very similar condition - it is the BOMB).

Looks like CIM has been updated/replaced with a new number, so you'll have to get in touch with them to find out what they recommend.

http://www.cimindustries.com/products/cim-product Jim Sliff
Senior Member
Username: jim_sliff

Post Number: 103
Registered: 08-


Posted on Monday, October 31, - 05:30 pm:    Agreed a crystalline system won't cut it. I'd go with a fluid-applied polyurea liner at roughly 100 mils. I've seen concrete tanks of many types lined with everything from epoxy to drop-in or heat-welded liners and polyurea seems to provide the best combination of strength, elongation, no seams and life cycle cost.

Yes, as with urethanes supplied-air hoods must be worn by the applicators but that's completely normal for qualified applicators (I've never seen "full body suits" required, which would be interpreted as equivalent to a hard-hat diver suit - a fully enclosed, externally-supplied "environment"). Literally ALL fluid-system tank lining work has to be done using supplied-air systems; this includes everything from basement chillers to steel water tanks. All coatings I can think of displace oxygen and use of supplied air is a day-to-day part of the industrial coating trade. If a drop-in or heat-welded liner also used any type of solvent adhesive I'd require the same air-supply and retraction equipment as I would for a fluid-applied system.

Failure of air hood systems is extremely rare, but can happen - but retraction systems must legally be in place and manned/monitored so if a failure occurs the system users are out of the danger zone in seconds with no action on their part.

It's considered less of a danger than swingstage work, where out-of-date or worn out harnesses, illegal rigging and such often go unnoticed. Gerard Sanchis
Senior Member
Username: gerard_sanchis

Post Number: 56
Registered: 10-


Posted on Monday, October 31, - 05:41 pm:    As usual Jim's advice and experience is appreciated.

The PVC liners, unless they exceed a certain size, can be prefabricated in one piece and pre-tested. If not, they're heat-welded once in the tank with seldom more than one seam; I don't know if the heat welding consumes much oxygen, but if it does the quantity must be small.

I actually like the seamless polyuera, but when burnt once I seldom re-visit the same material. Gerard Sanchis
Senior Member
Username: gerard_sanchis

Post Number: 57
Registered: 10-


Posted on Monday, October 31, - 05:47 pm:    I just noticed that Wayne mentions 6 surfaces. The sixth is the underside of the tank cover which is not in contact with water but gets a lot of condensation.

When using a liner, we specify crystalline WP for the cover. I imagine that if poyurea or other liquid-applied WP is used, it's going to be difficult to spray overhead and the applicator would have to roll the material in multiple coats to achieve the required mill thickness. The same difficulty applies to same extent to troweled-on WP. ken hercenberg
Senior Member
Username: khercenberg

Post Number: 97
Registered: 12-
Posted on Tuesday, November 01, - 05:20 pm:    I've used Tnemec Series 264 on similar projects with no problem. With regards to applicator safety (granted that this is means and methods and accidents do happen), that presents another reason to use a product line that requires that knowledgeable applicators be involved.

CIM coatings were very good in immersion conditions in the past but I can't find CIM on their website any more. I've never used any of their other products.

Whatever product you use, make sure it's designed for immersion service. Temperature can come into play as well; freezing conditions even moreso.

Why You Should Install a Concrete Fire Tank

**Please note Versatile Tanks DO NOT repair water tanks**

With the size of commercial buildings in urban areas and housing estates ever increasing, so is the inevitable demand for adaptation when it comes to storing water for putting out fires. The fact is, with legislation as strict as it is, you can&#;t take any chances when it comes to safeguarding your client&#;s home&#; and it&#;s the very reason we&#;ve done our research so you don&#;t have to.

That&#;s right; we&#;re bringing you all you need to know about your best bet out there when it comes to protecting domestic buildings &#; and it&#;s this: concrete fire tanksconcrete fire tanks.

It&#;s mandatory to build a fire fighting tank if you&#;re in an area of Australia which is at risk of bush fires. If yours is an area prone to such fires, it isn&#;t an option but a requirement to install a fire fighting tank.

We&#;d all like a home or business facility we can rely on and concrete fire tanks offer just that &#; reliability and added peace of mind, at home or at work. So if you&#;re looking for some advice when it comes to concrete fire tanks and why it&#;s a great idea to consider installing one &#; and pronto &#; you&#;ve come to the right place.

What is a Concrete Fire Tank?

You&#;re probably aware by now what exactly a concrete fire tank is &#; and perhaps you&#;re also in possession of a little knowhow about how it can help it can help you enjoy a safer life or workplace, too. But if not, allow us to tell you more&#;

In short, they&#;re an above-ground external concrete water storage tank used for extinguishing fires. This is a vital piece of equipment in most businesses or homes, of course, and it&#;s the reason why so many contractors and homeowners choose to splash out.

Why Concrete?

Perfect for use as a fire fighting water storage, concrete works for one reason only: it can&#;t be set on fire. Why? It&#;s made up of non-combustible materials, including cement and water, and it doesn&#;t emit toxic fumes either. Neither, on the other hand, does it produce smoke. So you see it really does make sense to install a concrete fire tank when it comes to safeguarding a property, domestic or otherwise.

Another unique selling point worth knowing is that the concrete fire tank doesn&#;t drop molten particles when it&#;s exposed to fire. What that means for you is added assurance that you or your client can go about your day-to-day activities with no risk.

On top of this, concrete has a slow rate of heat transfer. Acting as a highly effective fire shield between adjacent spaces, it works hard to protect reinforcing bars from damage. If that wasn&#;t enough, it won&#;t cause any harm to internal concrete, either.

&#;And Why Do I Need a Concrete Fire Tank?

So we&#;ve talked about the benefits of installing a concrete fire tank already, but really what it comes down to is this: increased safety, at home or in the workplace.

If you&#;re in the business of putting the right steps in place to safeguard your clients, or you&#;d simply like to keep yourself and your family safe at home, you&#;ll definitely want to further your efforts with fire tanks that give you the peace of mind you&#;re looking for.

Don&#;t be put off when it comes to installation, either; it really isn&#;t as painstaking a process as you may have first thought.

With fire fighting tanks able to hold up to 22,500 litres of water, installation is bound to be a big job &#; but it&#;s not unachievable. How does it work, then?

Above-ground tanks can simply be interlinked together and placed side by side or end to end. Failing this, they can even stand alone and still do their job effectively.

They don&#;t need to be installed on a concrete base, unless absolutely necessary &#; and if this is the case, the fire fighting tank can simply be positioned on a slab. In this instance, only a 100mm-thick level sand bed or crusher base will be required.

Manufactured to the AS concrete structures specification, fire fighting water tanks are designed to withstand exposure classifications B1, B2 and C. This is to ensure the structure falls in line with AS- concrete liquid retaining structures standards.

Using a high strength concrete cured to 72mpa in 28days, concrete fire tank companies ensure that you receive nothing short of an extremely solid structure.

Finally, the life cycle of a concrete fire fighting tank is almost double that of a steel one, so you see, you really will be getting great value for money as well as the assurance they need that your business premises or home is protected at all times.

If you are going to install a concrete fire tank, it&#;s important that you first check the requirements of your local government. You can be sure, however, that Versatile Tanks Fire Fighting Tanks are suitable; the minimum requirement is 10,000 litres and the company&#;s tanks are more than capable of this. You must also ensure that your concrete fire tank is relatively easy to access too, due to ever-strict safety regulations.

What Will It Cost to Install a Concrete Fire Tank?

The cost associated with installation of your concrete fire tank varies; it all comes down to your unique requirements and the size of fire tank your premises or home can accommodate. Only once this has been established can a quote be drawn up.

What Are the Dimensions and Weight of a Concrete Fire Tank?

Of course, dimensions vary widely as well &#; some are mm wide and mm high by long, while others are slightly smaller or even larger.

To give you a better idea of weight, however, the average fire fighting water tanks will come in at around 11.7 tonnes. With a 5kpa load rating, the average lid is also fairly large too, with the entire tank needing to be delivered via a semi trailer approximately 19m long.

Of course, such a long trailer is required due to the weight of the tank, with a standard sized semi trailer easily accommodating two fire water tanks.

Concrete Fire Tanks: Some Things Worth Knowing                       

There&#;s lots worth knowing about fire water storage tanks, particularly if you&#;re ready to take the plunge and have one installed on behalf of a client.

Did you know, for instance, that the longer concrete cures, the less water is retained in the walls of a concrete structure?

On top of this, there&#;s also much less chance for spalling from direct heat. And this is simply because fire-induced spalling can occur in concrete with high water content.

Concrete fire tanks available online generally have a glass-like finish, both internally and externally. What this does is it allows for little to no air entrapment in the walls and also ensures moisture can&#;t reside in the stricture. This works by giving the concrete more resilience to radiant heat &#; another added benefit for anyone looking to safeguard their company or home.

Equipped with Vortex inhibitors, suction connections, access in tank lids, and galvanised step irons installed, concrete water tanks always keep your engineer&#;s specifications in mind, too.

So, what to do next?

Interested in discussing how a fire fighting water tank might benefit you, your home or your business? Do not hesitate to get in touch to chat about your unique requirements.

If your concrete fire tank leaks, you can also find out some useful information regarding what to do going forwards. Still stuck? Take a look around our blog for more.

With the size of commercial buildings in urban areas and housing estates ever increasing, so is the inevitable demand for adaptation when it comes to storing water for putting out fires. The fact is, with legislation as strict as it is, you can&#;t take any chances when it comes to safeguarding your client&#;s home&#; and it&#;s the very reason we&#;ve done our research so you don&#;t have to.

That&#;s right; we&#;re bringing you all you need to know about your best bet out there when it comes to protecting domestic buildings &#; and it&#;s this: concrete fire tanks.

It&#;s mandatory to build a fire fighting tank if you&#;re in an area of Australia which is at risk of bush fires. If yours is an area prone to such fires, it isn&#;t an option but a requirement to install a fire fighting tank.

We&#;d all like a home or business facility we can rely on and concrete fire tanks offer just that &#; reliability and added peace of mind, at home or at work. So if you&#;re looking for some advice when it comes to concrete fire tanks and why it&#;s a great idea to consider installing one &#; and pronto &#; you&#;ve come to the right place.

What is a Concrete Fire Tank?

You&#;re probably aware by now what exactly a concrete fire tank is &#; and perhaps you&#;re also in possession of a little knowhow about how it can help it can help you enjoy a safer life or workplace, too. But if not, allow us to tell you more&#;

In short, they&#;re an above-ground external concrete water storage tank used for extinguishing fires. This is a vital piece of equipment in most businesses or homes, of course, and it&#;s the reason why so many contractors and homeowners choose to splash out.

Why Concrete?

Perfect for use as a fire fighting water storage, concrete works for one reason only: it can&#;t be set on fire. Why? It&#;s made up of non-combustible materials, including cement and water, and it doesn&#;t emit toxic fumes either. Neither, on the other hand, does it produce smoke. So you see it really does make sense to install a concrete fire tank when it comes to safeguarding a property, domestic or otherwise.

Another unique selling point worth knowing is that the concrete fire tank doesn&#;t drop molten particles when it&#;s exposed to fire. What that means for you is added assurance that you or your client can go about your day-to-day activities with no risk.

On top of this, concrete has a slow rate of heat transfer. Acting as a highly effective fire shield between adjacent spaces, it works hard to protect reinforcing bars from damage. If that wasn&#;t enough, it won&#;t cause any harm to internal concrete, either.

&#;And Why Do I Need a Concrete Fire Tank?

So we&#;ve talked about the benefits of installing a concrete fire tank already, but really what it comes down to is this: increased safety, at home or in the workplace.

If you&#;re in the business of putting the right steps in place to safeguard your clients, or you&#;d simply like to keep yourself and your family safe at home, you&#;ll definitely want to further your efforts with fire tanks that give you the peace of mind you&#;re looking for.

Don&#;t be put off when it comes to installation, either; it really isn&#;t as painstaking a process as you may have first thought.

With fire fighting tanks able to hold up to 22,500 litres of water, installation is bound to be a big job &#; but it&#;s not unachievable. How does it work, then?

Above-ground tanks can simply be interlinked together and placed side by side or end to end. Failing this, they can even stand alone and still do their job effectively.

They don&#;t need to be installed on a concrete base, unless absolutely necessary &#; and if this is the case, the fire fighting tank can simply be positioned on a slab. In this instance, only a 100mm-thick level sand bed or crusher base will be required.

For more gfs storageinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.

Manufactured to the AS concrete structures specification, fire fighting water tanks are designed to withstand exposure classifications B1, B2 and C. This is to ensure the structure falls in line with AS- concrete liquid retaining structures standards.

Using a high strength concrete cured to 72mpa in 28days, concrete fire tank companies ensure that you receive nothing short of an extremely solid structure.

Finally, the life cycle of a concrete fire fighting tank is almost double that of a steel one, so you see, you really will be getting great value for money as well as the assurance they need that your business premises or home is protected at all times.

If you are going to install a concrete fire tank, it&#;s important that you first check the requirements of your local government. You can be sure, however, that Versatile Tanks Fire Fighting Tanks are suitable; the minimum requirement is 10,000 litres and the company&#;s tanks are more than capable of this. You must also ensure that your concrete fire tank is relatively easy to access too, due to ever-strict safety regulations.

What Will It Cost to Install a Concrete Fire Tank?

The cost associated with installation of your concrete fire tank varies; it all comes down to your unique requirements and the size of fire tank your premises or home can accommodate. Only once this has been established can a quote be drawn up.

What Are the Dimensions and Weight of a Concrete Fire Tank?

Of course, dimensions vary widely as well &#; some are mm wide and mm high by long, while others are slightly smaller or even larger.

To give you a better idea of weight, however, the average fire fighting water tanks will come in at around 11.7 tonnes. With a 5kpa load rating, the average lid is also fairly large too, with the entire tank needing to be delivered via a semi trailer approximately 19m long.

Of course, such a long trailer is required due to the weight of the tank, with a standard sized semi trailer easily accommodating two fire water tanks.

Concrete Fire Tanks: Some Things Worth Knowing                       

There&#;s lots worth knowing about fire water storage tanks, particularly if you&#;re ready to take the plunge and have one installed on behalf of a client.

Did you know, for instance, that the longer concrete cures, the less water is retained in the walls of a concrete structure?

On top of this, there&#;s also much less chance for spalling from direct heat. And this is simply because fire-induced spalling can occur in concrete with high water content.

Concrete fire tanks available online generally have a glass-like finish, both internally and externally. What this does is it allows for little to no air entrapment in the walls and also ensures moisture can&#;t reside in the stricture. This works by giving the concrete more resilience to radiant heat &#; another added benefit for anyone looking to safeguard their company or home.

Equipped with Vortex inhibitors, suction connections, access in tank lids, and galvanised step irons installed, concrete water tanks always keep your engineer&#;s specifications in mind, too.

So, what to do next?

Interested in discussing how a fire fighting water tank might benefit you, your home or your business? Do not hesitate to get in touch to chat about your unique requirements.

If your concrete fire tank leaks, you can also find out some useful information regarding what to do going forwards. Still stuck? Take a look around our blog for more.

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