How to Prevent Tank Flotation

Most business owners who have an underground storage tank on their property don’t spend a whole lot of time thinking about them. And why should they? Many storage tanks are the very embodiment of the saying, “Out of sight, out of mind.”

Of course, the whole “out of sight” thing goes out the window when your storage tank breaks through the soil, bobbing up and down on a layer of water. Though you might not think that your storage tank is in much danger of floating through the earth, you could be mistaken.

Fortunately, there are strategies you can employ to maximize storage tank flotation prevention in Colorado.

Why do storage tanks float?

It’s reasonable to be skeptical about a floating water storage tank. After all, they’re buried deep under the ground and then covered in dirt and soil. They’re then stocked full of water or natural gas (or whatever the case may be). As a result, at the end of the day, you’re looking at a water tank that, when full, is extraordinarily heavy and then weighed down by another several hundred pounds of soil.

However, when your tank is half full, buoyancy turns your tank into a threat for flotation. When excessive snow or rain seeps into your soil, it begins to fill up around the storage tank. When the tank isn’t entirely full, the air in the tank acts as an upward force.

As the water gets closer to covering your storage tank, that excess air pushes the tank upward through the soil and… voila! The need for storage tank flotation prevention in Colorado becomes suddenly clear.

How to keep your storage tank underground

Here are some of the most popular methods for keeping your storage tank in place beneath the soil:

• Bury it deeper: When you choose to install your storage tank farther underground, the excessive weight of the soil should keep it buried.
• Use a thick paving slab: Add a last barrier to your storage tank breaking through the ground with a thick paving slab over the top of your tank’s location.
• Deadman anchors: When burying your tank deeper doesn’t work, you can weigh down the tank itself using concrete anchors.

When your storage tank is installed, ask your contractor if flotation is a concern for the property. If so, you can have the contractor suggest which strategies are most effective at preventing flotation in your area.

Work with the best!

Need help with preventing tank flotation in Colorado? Come to DJC Enterprises Inc. Since we opened our doors all the way back in 1984, we have distinguished ourselves as one of Colorado’s most dependable contractors.

We provide a wide range of services, including interior tank coatings, shop priming, shot blasting, storage tank sandblasting, interior tank coatings and more. Whether your needs are commercial or residential, we can help.

Let us show you how our combination of technical expertise and flawless customer service can help you get the most for your needs. Contact us today to find out how DJC Enterprises Inc. can solve your tank flotation problems.

Categorised in: Storage Tanks

This post was written by Writer