Tank farm chooses geomembrane

By Mark Simpson, Layfield Geosynthetics and Industrial Fabrics Ltd.

Deployment of single Hazgard 500 panel.

A new Bulk Fuels Terminal Tank Farm was constructed in Fredericton, New Brunswick, during the summer of 2000. As per standard regulatory requirements, a geomembrane liner meeting strict physical and chemical property requirements was a key component in this application.

Design Constraints

Criteria for selection in this application were defined as follows:

• Compliance with the National Fire Code requirements for secondary containment in above ground tank farm applications.
• Physical and chemical resistance properties that would allow for long-term performance in a bulk plant application.
• Seam integrity and efficiency of installation given tight project time constraints.

Geomembrane Selection

The geomembrane selected for use in this application was Hazgard 500, a Canadian made product specifically designed for secondary containment applications where the National Fire Code must be met.

In this case, the geomembrane was shipped to site in one prefabricated piece to fit the entire tank farm facility thus allowing for very efficient installation and a high level of quality control. The physical and chemical resistance requirements for this tank farm were met or exceeded, reducing the potential for future maintenance of the liner.

Quality Control

The Hazgard 500 was fabricated and installed using strict quality control measures. A condition of being listed with Underwriters' Laboratories of Canada is a regimen of testing which must be followed every time an approved geomembrane is constructed. In the field, the geomembrane seams were tested and approved using ASTM standard methods.

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