Water Tank Foundation

Hi.

please give the details of the soil characteristics & other details.

we may go for Mat foundation but need a proper study of that.

Have you asked the consultant for an alternative foundation design recommendation?

We are not in a position to advise further since we have no soil information.

You are talking about a tank the will weigh around 4,500,000 pounds when filled with water. As others have noted we need more information before a reasonable answer can be presented.

The type/manufacture of the tank to be used.

Location of the tank..... City, country

Type of soil

Why can you not use piles 10m in length

Son, my father built this water tank in the swamp...

it sank into the swamp!!!!!

Then he built another water tank in the swamp...

it sank into the swamp also!!!!

and another... it sank also!!!!

But this tank, this tank stood...

and that is what you are getting son. The strongest damn water tank in the swamp!!!!

Please tell me you not thinking of setting up this tank on a hill.

By designing a water tank resting directly on the ground, we can enlarge the tank diameter and lowering its height up to attaining the permissible loads to suit with earth permissible loads, in this case you can use a raft foundation or just a good soil compacting underneath the tank, with or without a concrete ring wall under the tank shell.

For higher elevated tanks, the necessitates for piling or raft foundation shall be calculated and determined by a civil engineer.

That is true. We could also lower the floor of the water tank below grade so that the water pressure is partially compensated by the weight of the excavated soil. In some climates, this would be necessary anyway in order to get the tank below frost level. When we do this, of course, we must provide an adequate drainage system to prevent flotation or failure of the base slab due to upward pressure if and when the water table rises above the water level within the tank.

If soil conditions are suitable for a mat or raft foundation, it is probably more cost effective than a pile foundation (my opinion).

ba/ael's is the most optimum solution anywhere-any climatic zone.

Some Architects even build a garden on the fixed tank roof.

Intrinsic pressure on soil for 10m Water Column is an extra 1 Atmosphere only. Any soil can take that.

Ba/Ael's forewarning re groundwater tending to float the whole tank is real.

mm

Dear technovision,

How are you going to monitor the tank's condition? From what I understand this is a quite difficult design and many risks are involved. Maybe it would be useful information for you to know the strain and pressure levels in the foundation and/or the walls of the tank. Also, what about temperature fluctuations, water leakage and ground movement?

Fibre Optic Sensing technology allows you to have extremely accurate and continuous measurements with which you will be aware of the tank's condition any moment.

Fibre optic technology is the most advanced technology existing for structure health monitoring especially for suchlike large and demanding constructions.

If you wish to consider for accurate monitoring I will be happy to supply you with more information on Fibre optic sensors and sensing systems.

Kind regards

Helen Sofianos

www.fos-s.com