Underground tank: construction, installation, installation and dismantling

The underground reservoir is most often used to store specific liquids in various industries. Its use excludes the influence of external factors on the contents, allowing for a long time to preserve the properties of the product.

Area of use of tanks

Underground tanks are used not only in industries, but also in everyday life of people. They are often used as fire tanks in factories where there is no source of water. In industry, an underground reservoir is used to store petroleum products, acids, combustible lubricants, oils, drinking and industrial water. They are located strictly horizontally, on the basis of concrete. In the oil refining industry, the main purpose is to save products obtained during oil refining. Underground location of the container reduces the possibility of contamination of the surrounding area and protects the contents from exposure to high temperatures during the summer. Also, storage of underground tanks allows substantially freeing up production areas and using them with maximum efficiency.

Tank arrangement

The underground tank is equipped with two hatches. Through one, filling and sampling of the liquid are made, the second one is designed for inspecting the tank and assessing its condition. Each tank has sensors that determine the temperature, pressure and fuel level. The liquid is filled or withdrawn by means of special pumps equipped with an explosion protection system.

When the underground reservoir is installed, it is taken into account that the ambient temperature may become lower than the freezing point of the stored fuel. In this regard, the tanks are equipped with a heating system. If they are located in the northern areas, the heating system is equipped with a pit, in which the reservoir is located. Also, the excavation should be at a depth below the freezing level of the soil. Such measures are necessary to preserve heat and reduce the influence of climatic conditions on the contents of the reservoir.

Among other things, the underground reservoir is equipped with devices that determine the pressure, temperature and level of the liquid inside. There are also devices for sampling and determining the content indicators.

Kinds

The tank is a container of steel. Depending on the future content, they are available with different bottoms. The cylinder with a flat bottom is designed for storage of products with oil content, the pressure of which does not exceed 40 kPa. The conical bottom makes it possible to store the same combustible substances with a pressure of up to 70 kPa. Also, depending on the purpose of the tanks can be single-walled or double-walled. The former are most often used to store technical or drinking water. Double-walled tanks are used for aggressive liquids.

Installation of underground tanks From steel for storage of water allows to reduce losses of a liquid owing to influence of solar radiation, reduces thermal losses, and also due to an underground arrangement allows to use rationally the area of the industrial enterprises. Storage tanks for oil products help protect the fuel from external factors. It is also necessary to provide for the construction of an access road in case of emergency and the need to pump out fuel. Underground tanks are designed for operation in the temperature regime from -40 to +40 degrees Celsius and air humidity up to 80%.

Installation

Installation of the tank takes place on a specially prepared site. The bottom of the pit is equipped with a sand cushion up to 30 centimeters thick and compacted with crushed stone. Then the layer of waterproofing is laid and the concrete is poured over the area. The thickness of the concrete cushion should not be less than 20 centimeters.

The height of the well depends on the height of the tank, and the layer of land above the tank should be up to 1.2 meters. The well is covered with a reinforced concrete slab with holes for manholes. The surface of the slab must be insulated, for this, bitumen is usually used, which is applied hot on the surface. To bring the tank hatches to the surface of the slabs, cast-iron hatches are installed in the slabs of the slab , and wells made of bricks measuring 2 x 2 meters are installed around them. The surface near the wells must be arranged. To do this, the stone is made of stone, fastened with concrete mortar, and after hardening a layer of sand is laid. The walls of the well are also treated with liquid bitumen.

The construction of underground reservoirs is carried out taking into account the terrain. This takes into account such factors as maximum summer and minimum winter temperatures, wind rose, maximum snow cover and soil type. If there is a large percentage of groundwater in the ground, the tanks are additionally attached to the concrete base.

Replacement of tanks

The operating time of underground tanks depends on the type of liquid that is stored in them, and can range from 10 to 50 years. Despite the fact that these tanks are designed for underground use, corrosion of metal occurs sooner or later. Dismantling of the underground reservoir should be carried out by specialists with the use of special equipment, because there is a danger of poisoning with toxic vapors and gases. The recovered tank is sent for recycling, and the room in which it was located is cleaned for future use.

Advantages of underground tanks

At present, tanks are in great demand due to their advantages. When using such storage facilities, there is a significant place on the territory of enterprises, and the contents of tanks are not exposed to external factors and permanently retain their properties. The location of the tanks under the ground surface allows to protect fuel or other liquids from temperature changes and possible seismic activity.