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Folding tank Tips??????
We had a fire that we had no way of getting our dump tank on level ground. I was wondering if anyone had ever cribed up around the fram of the tank just so you could keep it level to get all your water dumped. Also i have seen a lot of videos with people having ropes tied on the frame of the dump tanks that went across the tank, i was wondering if they do this for strenght or some other reason.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Rescue601 on
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If you crib the frame of the dump tank you are merely going to rip out the liner and or break the frame. If this happens again you should set your tank up on the closest level ground to the scene and relay pump. It would be a good exercise for training night as well.
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Permalink Reply by Engineco913 on
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this is 100% correct. Water weighing 8.34 pounds per gallon multiplied by 3000 gallons = 25020 pounds. Cribbing the frame up to make it level will break the string, shred the liner, and or destroy the frame. The string holding the liner to the frame isn't meant to suspend the weight of the water off the ground. (the ground holds the weight when deployed correctly) Finding the most flat surface would be an option, or as the poster above states relay from the dump tanks to the scene.
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Permalink Reply by united 289..{Dave} on
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Shoring of the frame can be done when done properly. We have done so in cases where you will have one corner of the frame that does not have ground for it to set on. By doing this it gives your frame a little more stabilizability. You are not shoring the hole side. As said that will not work.
You are not lifting the canvas off of the ground where you are not losing ground support. You are simply adding support to that corner.
Yes as it is said it is best to get the most level ground to set up your tank. There is time that just isn't and option
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Permalink Reply by T.J. on
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Never heardof anyone doing that, your just going to have to try to find the levelest place you can.
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Permalink Reply by mike on
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like everybody else is saying just find the levelest place. and make sure you put the hole for draining the tank at the lowest point also, along with the intake/strainer.
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Yes T.J. If you have to set your tank in a place where you have a drop off at one corner you will need to shore that corner for support. If not you will bend your frame. Be there done that. Lesson learned. You might say why didn't we set up where we don't have that problem. When you are on a narrow one lane twp road where you don't have the space to do so make do you do with what you have. In a particualar instence we had to shuttle water with one tanker in the same tanker out before we could bring the next full tanker in. Now that shoots the rule that the full tanker as the right way. Doesn't it?
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Permalink Reply by Jenny Holderby on
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Cribbing is a little tricky to use. Sometimes you don't realize you need it until after your tank if full. Then you have to wait to fix it but yes you can use cribbing. Make sure you don't have any rough edges to compromise your tank. A piece of plywood works well if you can find one to bridge the cribbing as a flat surface. I think the ropes ARE used to strengthen the tank, all that water is heavy. Long bungee cords also do the job & are faster to use & will hold the leaning side up if it isn't too unbalanced but a good old piece of rope, if someone ties it not to slip is a good fix.
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your saying a bungee cord can hold up the corner of a fold-a-tank that weighs over 26,000 pounds?
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Permalink Reply by PFC Harmon on
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I can't see a bungee cord and a piece of plywood holding up a full dump tank. Can you give a better description of how it works?
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I didn't say it would hold it up, I said it would help to hold it. Someone mentioned ropes across the top, this is the same principle. Ropes work too. The topic was shoring a dump tank and YES we have done that with cribbing and yes I have connected across the top with bungee cords for support.
I did not suggest that you base your whole tank on cribbing but if one side is falling over the hillside or one corner is below the rest of the tank for WHATEVER reason, a couple of bricks or some cribbing & a plank do work to make it level. A piece of plywood or a backboard can be used to build shoring to keep it from flopping over. Sometimes you do have to improvise.
I don't think anyone would intentionally set the thing up cockeyed, on a hillside but stuff does happen. Of course you guys could just dump the thing and dig out a nice level place for it to sit so we wouldn't have to spend time and energy trying to make it level and sturdy using what ever is handy. (let me guess it had to have been a jr or a woman who set it up)
The point, or what I thought was the point, was using methods of leveling a dump tank. 9x out of 10 the reason one side bulging (the most common problem) and spilling is that the cords are not tight enough to the frame on one or more sides or the hinges haven't been straightened all the way out. Someone was in a hurry to set it up & didn't get it done right. The frame will bend if you don't attempt to take the weight off of it or give it some support. WATER IS HEAVY. I have seen ropes tied to the failing side, run across the top & attached to a picket line for support. It worked. I learned that from a career firefighter. Not something I would have thought of but ingenuity is a valuable tool particularly when you don't have time to empty the tank & reset it.
Propping up corners isn't difficult and sometimes necessary but as I said be careful not to use something that will compormise your tank. Yes I do have experience with folding/dump/portable tanks. In this area fire hydrants are not on every corner. A good water source may be 2 or 3 miles away in certain areas of the township. We use tankers & portable tanks quite often. We don't own a 3000 gal tank, they are 1800 to 2000 gal, if you set them up PROPERLY side by side with a jet syphon between them you have a good water supply as long as you have the tankers to haul it in.
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Jenny never said was to hold. Just to help support the corners.
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