Over the last two decades,
composite tanks for water storage, tanks with
a steel tank storage container atop a reinforced
concrete pedestal, have gained popularity.
The challenge for tank owners, engineers, and
designers has been that no widely recognized
standards were in place to provide guidance
for the construction of these types of tanks.
AWWA Standard Committee D170 is
working to fill those gaps and provide a
comprehensive standard that will supply tank
owners and specifiers with the tools needed to
design, specify, build, and maintain these
structures. It will also aid the tank owner in
better determining the type of tank (steel, concrete,
composite) that will best serve their
water system needs now and in the years to
come.
This paper reviews the development of the composite tank and includes a state-of-the-art
look at what concepts are being built today, the status of the standards process, how
composite tanks differ from the AWWA D100 tanks, and how to properly specify a
composite elevated tank. Includes table, figures.