Water Tanks for Fire Protection: Proper Planning Helps Avert Disaster

In emergency fire-fighting situations, the demand for water can exceed the supply available from the domestic water delivery system. This is especially true for suburban or rural areas served by a well with limited delivery capability. Buildings like schools, hospitals, prisons, office buildings, data centers, and other institutional and commercial facilities need a reliable and redundant water supply. A properly designed and sized water storage system is an important component of any distribution system. Water tanks are, without exception, the critical element in providing safe, secure water especially during periods of drought, infrastructure failure, and loss of pumping capacity and flow during extensive fire fighting. As a result, architects and engineers consistently turn to protected steel fire protection tanks to provide a reliable source of water at desired rates and durations for a wide range of design conditions. Fire departments around the country have specific requirements for the submittal and approval of the design, construction, installation, and maintenance of protected steel tanks that supply water for private fire systems installed in accordance with NFPA 22-2008 Standard for Water Tanks for Private Fire Protection.

Building and fire codes may require a secondary, on-site water supply for high-rise buildings. Compliance may result in a secondary water supply equal to the hydraulically calculated sprinkler and hose stream design demand with a required duration time up to 30 minutes. TN_WT_04-2012

The design of these water tanks must include: Water supply to refill Duration of use Tank fabrication standards: UL-58, UL-142, UL-1746, AWWA D-100-05, AWWA D-102-06 Tanks capacity and/or actual usable gallons. Overflow/fill protection Level monitoring The requirements for onsite fire protection water storage are set forth by the local fire code in a Required Water Supply table and must be dedicated to fire protection use only (see below). Usually if fire sprinklers are not installed, the supply is per the calculated fire flow (flow rate x duration) as specified in the local fire code.
Building Size Up to 10,000 sq. ft. 10,001 to 15,000 sq. ft. Over 15,000 sq. ft. Volume of Fire Protection Water Supply 10,000 gallons 30,000 gallons 45,000 gallons

draining cycles. The vent is critical in maintaining atmospheric pressure, especially in aboveground applications. Most atmospheric tanks for fire protection are single-walled. They are designed, constructed, and tested in accordance with Underwriters Laboratories Inc. standards UL-58, UL-1746, or UL-142. Additionally, the water tanks design and construction is governed by standards such as American Water Works Association AWWA D100-05 Standard for Welded Steel Tanks for Water Storage, and the National Fire Protection Associations NFPA 22-2008 Standard for Water Tanks for Private Fire Protection. A water tanks single-walled construction uses one sheet of steel meeting ASTM standards. The material thicknesses will range from 12 gauge to 1 , whether the tank is constructed of mild carbon steel or stainless steel. Flat flanged or dished heads, continuous exterior and interior welds on all joints, and a verifiable 5-psi factory air test ensures a safe and secure storage tank. Additional fittings on a typical water tank for fire protection will include a single or Siamese dry hydrant with anti-vortex plate, a fill port, and a level indicator.

Types of Water Supply There are many different layouts for water storage tanks for fire protection. Some will require a traditional drafting design (cistern tank) while others may provide a gravity flow or pumped discharge (reservoir tank). In some instances, the utilization of an ASME pressure vessel is required. Always contact your local fire and building officials before moving ahead with a storage tank project involving firefighting systems. Cisterns Many communities have invested in underground or aboveground cisterns for fire protection. These cisterns can be large, some of which can hold ten times as much as a fire tanker. NFPA has published guidelines regarding the location and volume of an appropriate fire cistern based on the structure(s) it is designed to protect. Cisterns are atmospheric water tanks with properly sized air vents to allow free flow of air during their filling and

The volume of fire protection water supply is usually dedicated to fire protection use only.

Reservoir Tank Fire protection reservoirs are protected steel water storage tanks designed to provide sufficient water supply for fire suppression systems beyond that which the domestic water feed line serving the building can supply. In other words, the fire suppression delivery system needs an auxiliary and/or secondary means of water to satisfy the fire flow. This type of water storage tank can either be an atmospheric tank or an ASME pressure vessel. Atmospheric water storage tanks require a fire pump to deliver water to the building. Tanks can be installed either underground or aboveground. Underground installations may

In many applications, ASME pressure vessels are manufactured for use with fire suppression sprinkler systems. During normal operation, this hydropneumatic tank is filled with 2/3 water and 1/3 air to provide the velocity factor needed for the sprinkler piping system. The tank construction complies with the ASME Code, Section VIII, Division I and is welded in accordance with ASME Section IX. The ASME pressure vessels material of construction consists of SA516 GR70 carbon steel and type 304 and 316 stainless (includes L grades). Most ASME vessels utilize flanged tank fittings (raised or flat face, slip-on weld neck, lap joint). Manways are limited to 24 diameter cylindrical or elliptical. Coatings and Linings A high-tech, high-solids polyurethane coating system is the first line of defense against external and internal corrosion for fire water storage tanks. In addition to meeting strict VOC air pollution regulations, these environmentally-friendly coatings offer application and quality advantages over their traditional solvent-based counterparts. After a surface preparation of either SSPC-SP6 or SP10 grit blast, these superior coatings are professionally applied. They provide for exceptional adhesion characteristics by forming a strong, long-lasting bond to the steel substrate of the water storage tank.

According to NFPA, where a pressure tank is used for the fire water supply, those who meet the requirement of ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code are acceptable.

require a vertical turbine fire pump installed directly through the manway along with a jockey pump and fill/level controls. The pump can be completely enclosed in the manway or housed in a prefabricated pump house located at finished grade. Tanks installed underground can also be designed with one end penetrating a buildings foundation wall providing access to the tank controls. An integral water stop and link seal protects the building interior from water intrusion. This design saves valuable building space and eliminates the need for a pump house.

For underground installations, external corrosion protection systems employ a high-grade, self-reinforcing coating with a 1:1 format that can be applied in one coat to an almost unlimited thickness. Most manufacturers provide a limited 10-year warranty for corrosion when using this type of protective coating system at a 75- mil thickness. When coating the inside of a water storage tank, the approach to corrosion control is somewhat similar. The internal polyurethane coating used is highly resistant to corrosion, abrasion, immersion, waterborne chemicals, and cathodic disbondment. After internal seal welding and surface preparation, the two component, quick setting, 100% solids coating is applied to a 15-mil thickness.

It is an exceptional coating for a fire protection water tank, so good that it is even used in potable water storage tanks. They cure to form a tough, durable, non-toxic solid, so hard that it will not impart any taste to the water contents of the tank. Insulation Water storage tanks are insulated for a wide variety of applications. The thermal insulation helps to prevent freezing and reduces energy costs associated with heating or maintaining heated water. A variety of insulation systems can be applied to most above and below ground tanks. External batt and metal jacket insulation systems are used primarily on aboveground horizontal and vertical tanks. This system offers a 360-degree wrap of mineral wool, fiberglass, or ceramic material. The insulation is then wrapped in aluminum, stainless steel or HDPE sheets, which provide moisture and UV protection. External spray-on and poured foam are another 360-degree wrap that can be used on above or belowground tanks. Aboveground insulation applications utilize a standard twocomponent urethane that expands and hardens to the desired R value based on insulation application thickness. When cured, a 25 mil semi-rigid white acrylic weatherproof coating is applied for surface protection. For underground applications, urethane foam is poured between the two steel walls of a modified double-walled tank. This creates the desired thermal insulation while maintaining the storage tanks internal and external corrosion control system. The availability of an adequate and reliable water supply is paramount in order to protect communities from the ever-present threat of fire. Protected steel water storage tanks are a vital element within the municipal and rural water delivery system. Proper tank selection and design is required to assure that life-saving water can flow around the clock to sustain long duration fire suppression operations. Highland Tank One Highland Road Stoystown, PA 15563 Phone: 814-893-5701 Contact: Steve Mapes Email: smapes@highlandtank.com Call today for more information or visit us at www.highlandtank.com for complete HighDRO-Pure Rainwater Harvesting Systems information. Click to download one or all of our Engineering Catalogs Please sign up for our E-Newsletter at Highland Tank TechNews