Monday, February 24, 2014

Merits And Demerits Of An Above Ground Storage Tank

By Krystal Branch


An above ground storage tank are one of the two types of storage tanks. These tanks are situated either on the ground or on a slightly raised ground. Their capacity is regulated to 10,000 litres for those whose contents are any other liquids other than water. One thing to note is that they both have advantages and disadvantages over the other designs.

The reasons for the choice of these designs are numerous. One of these is that they are relatively cheap when it comes to installation costs because it involves fewer activities. One needs to find a space where to construct their tanks of which the only costs involved include construction of a foundation of which it is not a must for those placing their tanks above their houses. This mostly applies to water tanks. For those that require raising the grounds, less cost is involved because there is no excavation cost.

Minimal excavation is required when establishing these designs thus making it relatively cheaper. The only excavation required is for foundation only for the support. They are mostly raised slightly above while there are some which are raised high above the ground. In both situations the excavation required is very minimal slightly less expensive installation. In case where excavation is mandatory for underground tanks is in case of problems calling for repairs.

They are also quick and cheap to repair in case there is a problem such as rust in case it is a metallic tank or cracks in case it is a plastic tank. Their location makes them more accessible and thus easy to mend them. To repair, all that one needs to do is to get the required materials and take the necessary cause of action. This will take both less energy and manpower.

Another advantage worth mentioning is the fact that these tanks do not require energy to pump the stored content. The material can be easily extracted without energy because the tanks are set up the ground and thus can flow downwards naturally. All that one needs to do is set the extraction pipes bellow the tank. This is also an advantage as it contributes to the low costs required to establish and use such tanks.

Apart from the effect of weather conditions, these tanks are also susceptibility to accidents. They are constructed above grounds and that means they can be accessed easily by various individuals who may cause various forms of accidents on the tanks. An example is whereby individuals working around the tanks leave oil tanks running and accidents of fire result in one way or another. These not only results to accidents to the tanks but also extends to those situated close.

They are also affected negatively by adverse weather conditions such as too much solar or high temperature conditions. Such conditions may result to corrosion of the tanks and in other situations they may even cause them to burst especially in the case of plastic tanks. For one to avoid such situation it means construction of a structure that will protect the tanks from such effects. This will call for additional costs which will make the whole project expensive.

It is therefore clear that above ground storage tank are more effective than the other type of tanks as it has many advantages. Despite this fact, it is necessary for one to analyze all the reasons for and against these types of tanks depending on the preference and priorities.




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