Steel and concrete have been used for a long time in the construction of above-ground and underground storage tanks. They both have their advantages and limitations, but thanks to the latest FRP materials, which are multifunctional, they can take on the task of storing water better than steel and concrete. Wanxin FRP shows you the comparison.
Steel and concrete have been used for a long time in the construction of above-ground and underground storage tanks. They both have their advantages and limitations, but thanks to the latest FRP materials, which are multifunctional, they can take on the task of storing water better than steel and concrete. Wanxin FRP shows you the comparison.
glass fiber reinforced plastic tower
Like concrete, steel has been used for decades in the construction of above and underground storage tanks. Despite this, steel has certain disadvantages when used in the manufacture of water storage tanks.
- A significant advantage of fibreglass over steel storage tanks is that metal cannot match the rust and corrosion resistance of composite materials. For underground water storage tanks, corrosion is a major issue. To combat corrosion, steel tanks are often lined or coated both internally and externally, which not only adds to the cost but also has long-term maintenance issues.
- Weight is another advantage of fibreglass tanks compared to steel tanks. When comparing fibreglass tanks to steel tanks, steel tanks can weigh up to four times as much as fibreglass tanks, which often adds to the cost of installation and limits access to difficult locations.
Concrete is a material used in the construction of storage tanks, both above and below ground models. As a construction material, it has certain limitations.
- Although concrete is a strong material, the flat roof design of buried concrete tanks often fails to meet traffic load conditions and requires design upgrades, which can increase costs.
- Concrete can be subject to erosion and often requires expensive liners as a solution to prevent this susceptibility to corrosion. Concrete cracking often exposes reinforcement to corrosion, which can endanger the structure.
- Many designers are concerned about cracking and leaking concrete tanks. Tanks used for fire protection systems must have a reliable watertight design that gives the owner confidence that water will be available when needed.
- Underground fibreglass storage tanks do not have many of the constraints normally imposed on polyethylene tanks, such as the common installation conditions of water table, burial depth and traffic loads.
- Given the structural design factors, polyethylene storage tanks are usually limited in capacity. For example, underground storage tank models are often limited to much smaller capacities than required for typical fire storage tank installations, so many small tanks need to be brought together to obtain the required storage capacity. This increases the cost and is undesirable compared to a smaller number of larger tanks.
Above and below ground fibreglass storage tanks are a proven option for fire protection applications. If you need to purchase one, please contact us.