Out of Service Tank Inspection at Equity Industrial Partners
CommTank provided an out-of-service inspection of a 350,000-gallon aboveground storage tank (AST) containing water for a fire suppression system in Braintree, MA. This facility was recently acquired by the Equity Industrial Partners and they wanted the system inspected before placing it in service. The inspection was conducted in accordance with NFPA 25 Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems.
CommTank completed the tank cleaning and inspection utilizing a three-person crew in 3 days. The inspection was directed by a certified aboveground storage tank Inspector to insure the thoroughness of the examination and make recommendations as required.
The following is a summary of the steps required to perform the out-of-service water tank inspection.
- Removed and disposed non-pumpable tank bottoms to allow access to tank floor.
- Cleaned inner tank walls with absorption pads to remove residual fluids.
- Removed old burner coil from inside the AST.
- Visually inspected the floor, shell, roof, and interior structural supports.
- Ultrasonic thickness measurements of the tank floor were performed in order to identify underside corrosion. These measurements concentrated on the critical shell to floor zone and radiated to the center of the tank. Special emphasis was focused on the internal sump components.
- Ultrasonic thickness measurements were performed on the tank vertical shell.
- Ultrasonic thickness measurements were also obtained on the roof.
- Vacuum box testing was performed on all tank floor lap welds and bottom-to-shell welds.
- A detailed outcome report signed by a certified inspector was prepared documenting the results of the inspection. This included recommendations concerning immediate repair requirements, overall condition assessment, suitability for continued services, as well as recommendations concerning re-inspection intervals.
Dan Hoag has worked in the environmental and tank storage industry for 16 years. Dan’s range of expertise includes designing systems for oil spill clean-ups, treating soil contamination through "in situ" oxidation and testing, and inspecting underground storage tank systems. As head of Marketing and Information Technologies at CommTank, Dan draws from field experience to write about fuel, water and chemical storage technologies, and the regulations that affect them. He has developed training courses in home inspection, underground storage tank operator, ultrasonic thickness and tank tightness testing. Over the past decade, Dan has published over 60 articles about industry trends and has documented commercial, residential, and environmental projects through illustration, videos, and photography. When Dan unplugs from technology, he spends his time backyard farming, hiking, and kayaking, while masquerading as a hockey player during the wee hours of the morning.