Thursday, February 20, 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.

Like any other tanks, they are prone to damages through corrosion and physical damage by individuals, animals or natural calamities. The good thing with these designs is that they are exposed to observation and inspection. This enables early detection of damages and easy repair as it is accessible. This results into minimization of losses as a result of leakages and spillage.

They can be strategically placed in a safe and secure place free from interference and pollution. This not only secures the contents but also protects the users from harmful and malicious contamination. In case of any unforeseen dangers, these designs can easily be relocated to a better place. This is because moving and setting it up in a different place does not involve many processes like excavation.

In as much as these designs are considered to be generally advantageous, the do however have their own set of disadvantages. The major challenge facing these tanks is their exposure to unfavorable climatic conditions. They are exposed to excessive heat conditions during the day and too low temperatures in the nights. These diverse weather conditions promote corrosion which eventually erodes the surfaces and materials used to make these tanks. This is the major reason for the frequent bursts and leakages often experienced by the owners of these tanks.

They are also prone to accidents due to their location in the open space. They are often damaged by individuals either intentionally or accidentally. Sometimes they are also exposed to animals, wild and domestic, who when not observed can completely destroy this tanks resulting into loss of property.

It is also disadvantageous to use these designs because one will have to incur an extra cost to acquire additional space to establish them. The tanks are built above grounds and that means one is expected to use an extra space. If there are many tanks especially for companies dealing with liquid products, it will be way too much. One can save space by constructing underground tanks.

In conclusion above ground storage tanks have various pros and cons and needs critical analysis when deciding on their use. One will have to analyze both the advantages and the disadvantages and weigh the two so as to come up with a conclusive decision on whether to adopt it or not.




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