Underground Concrete Water Storage Tank

[PEDARRIN2]

I am designing the piping and equipment for a fire suppression system which includes an underground concrete storage tank. The tank will be located below an expansion of the existing building. Some of the walls of the tank will also serve as the foundation of a part of the building.

The way I read and interpret NFPA 22 is that the tank walls must be poured concrete construction.

The architect wants to use a block wall construction.

I need to know if I should bring this up.

Thanks

 

[cdafd]

Looks like they can do it if they can prove it will work and is equivalent. It looks like if you can make it out of wood than you can make it out of block.
Is there going to be access for maintance????

1.2 Purpose.
The purpose of this standard is to provide a basis for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of water tanks for private fire protection. Nothing in this standard shall prevent the use of systems, methods, or devices that are equivalent in quality, strength, fire resistance, effectiveness, and durability to those prescribed by this standard, provided technical documentation is made available to the authority having jurisdiction that demonstrates equivalency, and the system, method, or device is appropriate for the intended purpose.

 

[PEDARRIN2]

Thanks for the reply.

There is an access hatch for maintenance.

I agree that there is nothing in the code that explicitly prohibits the use of CMU but my concern is that it would be a whole lot easier sealing a single piece of concrete than it would to seal several joints inherent in the use of CMU. It can be done, but I would be concerned.

 

[pipedream]

i have a customer that has a below ground storage tank. the building is of concrete slab construction with a pre-fab metal building system, the tank is under the building and is covered over with span deck and the vertical fire pump sits on steel beams with the pump extending down into the tank. a large metal plate for access. a swimming pool liner was used to seal the tank....do not know what type of construction the walls are made of. matter of fact they don't even have a city water supply for the fire protection, when the water gets low in the tank they call the local fire department and they bring a pumper truck full of water and fill it. very rural area. 80,000 sq. ft. single story that make boxes.

hope this helps just a thought