Storage Tanks

Storage tanks are structures with very large volumes. They are usually constructed using steel, concrete or geosynthetic barriers and are used to store all types of liquids and materials. These are managed and used with cleaning or recovery techniques.

We have a wide range of experience constructing storage tanks with the slipform technique. Storage tanks for liquified gas, tall deposits and digesters are our main areas of focus in this sector.

The widespread use of slipform technology in the implementation of large tanks is not only explained by the speed of construction, simplicity and various other advantages, but also since it removes the need for joints in the concrete, which is a characteristic of this method. The monolithic structure obtained through this method of construction, besides improving the structural quality, also confers a functional improvement when dealing with the storage of liquids and gases.

Our contribution in the implementation of elevated tanks goes from the shaft sliding to the hoisting, which is executed on the ground and lifted into place using a system of special jacks, releasing it in the final position. As a result of that, there is no need to use falseworks.

Given that the size of these kinds of works is very large, we use a double bracing system for storage tanks and digesters, composed of:

• Perimeter bracing, made up of a double triangulated tubular structure connected to the formwork.
• Radial bracing, made up of a central ring and a series of turnbuckles connected to the formwork.

What different types of storage tanks are there?

Water Storage Tanks

River water, wastewater and industrial water tanks are some examples of tanks used in hydraulic engineering. They are commonly used by water treatment plants in a variety of phases of the purification process, in decantation techniques and in the chemical treatment of industrial wastewater.

Material Storage Tanks

Almost all these infrastructures have different types of final storage tanks, as is the case of the ones used for thermal drying. They are constructed to be resistant to explosions due to the volatile solids stored there.

Even if the material is difficult to use, storage tanks are the most sustainable alternative to traditional landfills. At the beginning of the value chain, they are also constructed to store other types of materials not derived from waste: from food products to chemical products.

Controlled Storage Tanks

Another type of storage unit is the controlled storage tank. This special type of storage tank has geosynthetic barriers that are usually used at the end of the waste management chain. That said, some of these materials, such as biogas, can still be used or may be enclosed until their toxicity, radioactivity, flammability, etc. is reduced. They will be used again later, forming a part of the process as inert material. They are also essential to help drain the land, especially in heavily urbanized areas where the natural layer is covered by a waterproof film made up of buildings and streets.

Water is usually drained into the ground in underground chambers via drainage cells that recharge natural aquifers, as is the case with the Paco de Lucía metro stop in Madrid.