Fibreglass tanks - the plain and simple facts

Installation of fibreglass tanks is simple and economical.

Introduced in 1963, fibreglass tanks presented a rust-immune alternative to steel. Since then, fibreglass tank usage has grown remarkably. Over 15 years ago, some major oil companies in Canada embarked on a storage tank replacement program and fibreglass tanks were their preferred choice.

When properly installed, they are engineered to withstand truck H-20 axle loading of 32,000 pounds per axle. The standard tanks' integral rib/tank interface for added tank strength allows burial to a depth of seven feet in wet or dry soil conditions. Additional burial depths can be accommodated through applied design criteria.

Fibreglass tanks are often exhumed, tested, re-certified by the manufacturer and re-installed in new locations, even after many years of reliable underground fuel storage - some as much as 20 years.

Installation is simple and economical. They require clean and free-flowing pea gravel or crushed stone. This backfill material is self-consolidating, doesn't settle and requires 30% less material than if compacted sand is used.

This article was abridged from Environmental Science & Engineering magazine, which also contains many more articles not posted on our Web Site. See our home page on how to order your subscription. We regret we can only accept orders from Canada and the United States.