Need
To roof two reinforced concrete tanks, 14 and 34 meters in diameter, containing permeated water and chlorinated water. Both were uncovered and exposed to contamination by algae growth due to sunlight.
The covers, exposed to corrosion degradation, would become a serious problem in the future. A corrosion-resistant protective cover was therefore necessary.
Limitations
The 14-meter tank was in operation, so the roof had to be assembled nearby, then hoisted and placed completely assembled.
The 34-meter tank, however, could be emptied by temporarily suspending operations.
Assembling it on the side and then hoisting was not feasible due to space constraints. Although it could be mounted in parts with a temporary central column to be later removed, the roof structure would need to be larger at higher cost. It was therefore decided to make it lighter with a fiberglass composite central column (which can remain submerged without suffering corrosion effects).
Solution
Design, calculation and manufacture of a circular flat-truss roof structure with pultruded fiberglass composite profiles.
The cover was built with single-curvature laminar gutters manufactured by the infusion method, achieving a high fiberglass concentration, making them more resistant and lighter. Two pultruded plates, one on each side, connect the gutters and allow each one to act not only as cladding but also as a high-inertia beam.
All our works are made entirely with structural profiles manufactured by pultrusion in fiberglass composite material (also known as PRFV).
CME has an engineering team that designs, calculates, tests and manufactures all structures built for a large number of important companies in Argentina and several other countries.
CME has an engineering team that designs, calculates, tests and manufactures all structures built for a large number of important companies in Argentina and several other countries.
