Environmental Science & Engineering - www.esemag.com - May 2005
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Stainless steel tanks can be erected on-site
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| Tank being assembled.
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The VK method – patent pending
– allows for quick, safe,
efficient and cost-effective
on-site construction of circular
stainless steel storage tanks, for
potable water and wastewater treatment
applications, and toxic storage
wastewater reservoirs, silos and
diverse applications.
The erection process is simple and
efficient according to VK Tanks &
Silos Inc., Surrey, British Columbia. It
allows stainless steel coils to be
shipped directly from the steel mill to
job sites without intermediary manufacturing.
These coils are then picked
up by a decoiler and fed into a bending
machine for on-site fabrication,
often by two person crews.
Stainless steel coil is subsequently
bent on the top and bottom longitudinal
edges. The bends reduce bulging
and dramatically increase the strength
of the structure. This allows for the
use of thinner steel than some other processes and provides significant cost and material savings,
says the supplier, VK Tanks & Silos Inc. These bends
form tracks which ride on a series of rollers mounted on
vertical posts, and the steel structures are gradually pushed
upward in a helical path while being welded. Double
flanged joints facilitate welding and produce a high degree
of joint stiffness.
Tank roofs and other appurtenances can be added at
ground level so the amount of time spent working at
heights may provide safer working conditions. Because the
roof and/or wind girder are installed shortly after construction
starts, the top of the tank shell is never unsupported,
minimizing the chance of folding or cave-in due to wind.
Building tanks with the roofs on and welding from the inside
can provide protection from adverse weather conditions.
Once the design height is achieved, the bottom edge of
the tank shells are trimmed to fit foundations and structures
may be lowered to the ground by reversing the direction
of the drive motor.
The conventional method of fabricating a storage tank or
silo is to weld shop-formed steel plates together. This
requires on site cranes as well as the erection of both inner
and outer scaffolding. The VK system eliminates some of
the costs of conventional tank construction such as the
expense of preparing individual shell plates and shipping
and handling large numbers of pieces.
These tanks can be erected inside buildings or in confined
spaces. All equipment is portable and can be easily
transported by roadway or airlifted into remote areas. The
VK system may require fewer personnel and shorter construction
times. This method can also be used to reline
existing leaky tanks with stainless steel liners.
Contact Stuart Coles, tel: 1-877-TANKS-SS
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