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From Water and Wastewater.com Tanks
Rapid growth was putting a strain on the existing water supply from its two tanks, both with 500,000-gallon capacities. Drought was also threatening the area, making timing even more critical. “We needed to get something up quickly, so installation speed was a determining factor in our selection,” Gary said. The city originally considered a welded tank, but that might have taken as long as six to nine months to get the installation completed, depending on the weather and other factors. Beverly Buschmann, a sales representative for USA Tanks, provided the solution when she contacted the city and recommended a pre-engineered, factory-coated and thermally-cured bolted tank. “I explained that it would cut the installation time by at least 50 percent,” she said. “The economics also made sense, so the city was all for it.” Grain Valley decided on a 774,000-gallon bolted tank to add to the two tanks already in service. After an addendum to the specifications allowed a bolted tank with an aluminum geodesic dome, the contract was awarded at the end of April 2003. “The lower cost was a nice bonus,” Gary commented.
For construction of the dome, the aluminum beams and skin were shipped from Columbian TecTank’s plant in Parsons, Kansas, and delivered to Grain Valley for field assembly. Once completed, the entire 5-ton frame was lifted into place on the tank at sunrise on July 22, using a crane from Belger Cartage Service, Inc. USA Tank’s erection crew aligned and secured the aluminum geodesic dome in place. “CST Industries is the only U.S. tank manufacturer that complements its storage tank offering with the design and production of aluminum geodesic domes,” noted Jeff Perez, a project manager at the Parsons plant who heads up the dome operation. “Geodesic domes offer big advantages because of their excellent corrosive resistance properties and their ability to span longer distances without additional internal roof supports.” He added, “This is the first one we’ve installed in Missouri.” Several local TV newscasts showed the tank in their reports about the drought. For example, KMBC-TV, Kansas City’s ABC affiliate, reported on emergency water rationing in the Grain Valley area and noted that the new tank would help the city meet its citizens’ water needs despite the drought. Columbian TecTank 5400 Kansas Ave. Kansas City, KS 66110 Telephone: 913-621-3700 Fax: 913-621-2145 Fax Email: sales@columbiantectank.com Web site: http://www.tectank.com/ © Copyright 1998 - 2008 Water and Wastewater.com |
