Storage Tank Floor - Ground Reinforcement

Four temporary prefabricated tanks were to be supported directly by the ground
surface. The primary concern involved localized settlements beneath the tank floor.
Predicting the occurrence and magnitude of localized settlements can be difficult. It was
determined that a concrete footing with steel piles would be too expensive, and too
difficult to remove after the function of the temporary facility has passed.

Titan Solution

Titan worked with the project proponents on a geogrid horizontal foundation pre-design
solution that included two layers of Titan Earth Grid™ and 8oz non-woven geotextile. The
layers of Titan Earth Grid™ were separated by a 200mm layer of the base material. It was
determined that the tensile properties, junction strength, flexural stiffness, and aperture
stability of Titan Earth Grid™ provided adequate positive interlock with the soil and
aggregate. The tensile properties allowed redistribution of stresses, which reduced the
risk of localized weak spots by smoothing out uneven settlements.

A gravel berm was contained within a Grade Band to support the weight of the tank walls. The gravel berm contained an 8oz non-woven geotextile TE-8 throughout the surface area of the gravel berm. Water runoff from the tank roof could potentially erode the gravel berm, therefore it was necessary to include the geotextile to help mitigate this risk.

Titan Earth Grid® is a biaxial geogrid made from polypropylene, designed to reinforce and stabilize weak or low load-bearing soils. It works by creating a strong mechanical interlock with compacted granular material, improving soil strength and bearing capacity for infrastructure.

Achievement

Titan’s solution was eco-friendly, easily constructed, simple to dismantle after the service life, and economical. Since construction, there has been no indication of shear failure or soil settlement