Fiberglass reinforced plastic tanks are built to last, but just because they’re incredibly durable and can stand up to most extreme situations doesn’t mean they shouldn’t still be handled with care when transported to their new location. Here are a few things to keep in mind to safely transport an FRP tank to your worksite.
Planning and consideration are the first steps to properly transporting an FRP tank. Permits and licensing may be required to ship larger units and the trailer and truck must be rated to handle heavier loads, but typically manufacturers or distributors will assist with the loading and unloading of the FRP tank. But remember, never hoist a tank from an accessory, such as ladders, tie downs, couplings or flanges.
FRP tanks come in all sorts of sizes and specifications and oversized units must be loaded and transported carefully to ensure they keep their structural integrity and finish. Always use padded supports and cradles as a plywood or metal support will destroy the finish and can cause other anatomical damage. It might be tempting to use carpeted plywood, but proper padding is necessary to ensure the unit arrives damage-free.
Strapping down the units correctly won’t cause bending or tension stress on the unit and if you need to apply that much tension to keep the tank steady, you may need to reconfigure your padding and strapping situation. Straps should only securely hold the unit in place, not crush it to the trailer bed. Too much tension can cause stress cracking to the walls of the tank and jeopardize the integrity of the unit.
Be conscious of point loading with any size of FRP tank. This can happen when the supports don’t fit properly and therefore puts too much pressure on one small area of the tank instead of distributing it evenly. This can cause stress fractures, cracks and the supports can even take chunks out of the unit if severely misaligned.
Our goal is to get you the unit as efficiently as possible while adhering to the safety requirements of transport for an FRP tank. If you’re interested in one of our products or you have more questions, please feel free to get in touch with us today!
