Section III. INSPECTING AND SERVICING THE EQUIPMENT

TM 5-5430-209-12

CAUTION

g. Erosion Protection. After the tank is erected,

Do not use sod or other flammable

place large cobbles, brick, soil cement, or pieces of

material.

broken cement on the outer slopes to prevent erosion.

Section III. INSPECTING AND SERVICING THE EQUIPMENT

2-5. Uncrating the Equipment

2-6. Inspecting the Equipment

a. Follow instructions stenciled on the crate. Cut

Inspect all items of the tank for damage due to shipping,

all straps securing the top, sides, and ends. Remove

unloading or uncrating. Inspect all plates, staves, and

the top, sides, and ends in that order.

channels for poor alignment and damage. Examine all

b. After opening the crate, remove only the

ladder components and manhole dome for breaks,

necessary items for assembly of the tank bottom. Bolts,

bends, and cracks. On the 1000-, 3000-, and 10,000-

nuts, and washers are packaged separately within the

barrel capacity tanks, make sure the center support

crate; make sure they are not misplaced during

base is not warped or broken. Make corrections as

uncrating.

necessary before starting construction. Replace any

c. After uncrating and assembling the bottom

items damaged beyond field repair.

plates, remove the remaining tank component items

from the crate. Check contents of crate with attached

packing list.

Section IV. TANK ERECTION PRECAUTIONS

2-7. General

NOTE

The precautions listed in this section apply to the

Apply sealing compound to the bottom

erection of all tanks covered by this manual.

of tanks which are to be used to store

2-8. General Erection Precautions

petroleum products only.

c. Staves.

a. Clean and dry all steel surfaces which contact

(1) On all tanks except the 100-barrel tank,

gasket material.

b. Tighten all bolts uniformly and carefully; avoid

place the first stave sheet so that it straddles a radial

seam of the tank bottom. On the 100-barrel tank, the

crushing gaskets. A maximum of 40 to 50 foot-pounds

bottom chime bolt hole in the vertical seam of the first

of torque should be used. Do not force or strip bolts.

stave installed is set over the end bolt in the bottom

Replace damaged bolts. Make sure all gaskets and

plate seam.

bolting surfaces are smooth.

c. Always

(2) On the 3000 and 10,000 barrel tanks,

work

from

right

left

place the stave sheets of each higher ring so that they

(counterclockwise).

d. Place the round side of all nuts against steel.

straddle the vertical seams of the next lower ring.

e. Insert all bolts by hand. Tank component items

(3) Do not tighten vertical seam bolts until the

last stave in the ring is in place.

should be aligned with a structural (spud) wrench or an

d. Deck.

aligning punch so that hammering is not necessary.

f. Splice all gaskets to cover two bolt holes.

(1) Install first, the plate or section containing

2-9. Specific Erection Precautions

the pressure vacuum valve.

a. Foundation

(2) Make sure that all plates straddle the

vertical seams in single stave rings and in the top tank

(1) Try to avoid locations which are poorly

stave ring.

drained or otherwise require special foundations.

(3) Do not tighten bolts until the last plate is

(2) Level the foundation carefully in

in place and all staves have been checked for tightness.

accordance with paragraph 2-4.

2-10. Static, Lightning, and Stray Current

b. Bottom Section.

Precautions

(1) Keep bottom plates or segments clean

a. Metallic tanks that are in contact with the ground

and dry.

are sufficiently grounded to provide for safe dissipation

(2) Loads that would cause distortion should

of lightning strokes.

not be placed on plates or segments.

b. Metallic tanks not resting directly on the ground

(3) Insert bolts from underneath, and

but connected to grounded piping systems are usually

temporarily back them with boards during assembly.

sufficiently grounded to provide for safe dissipation of

(4) Do not tighten bolts until the entire bottom

lightning strokes.

is laid and the first ring of staves is installed.

c. Metallic tanks that are insulated from the ground

(5) Compress ill-fitting overlaps with a blunt

can be protected by adequate grounding.

chisel or peeing tool. when necessary.

2-5