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Use the right tank base sealing system to extend your tank’s service life

An elastic tank base seal is essential for extending your tank’s service life. It helps meet applicable laws and regulations concerning soil protection and contributes to preventing corrosion. SABA offers various solutions for sealing a tank base to ensure it is liquid-tight, water repellant and chemically resistant.

Arjen Hagevoort
Author Arjen Hagevoort Export Manager

The importance of tank base sealing systems

There are different types of tanks, such as bolted, riveted or welded tanks. Depending on the type of tank, SABA offers different sealing systems to enhance the tank’s durability and prevent leaks and corrosion. In this section we primarily focus on tank base sealing systems. 

A tank base seal can be very important for two key reasons:

1.    A tank base seal prevents the uncontrolled leakage of hazardous substances, which in turn prevents soil contamination. This is a requirement pursuant to laws and regulations in almost all countries.

2.    Aside from this, sealing a tank base is very important to prevent water (moisture) from penetrating between the bottom plate and the concrete base, which can create damage due to freezing. However, in actual practice, after a period of time this is often insufficient, as a result of which an extra seal is required to prevent the bottom plate from corroding. The extra seal extends the tank’s service life and also saves costs because there is no reason for inspectors to decommission the tank.

Types of tank base sealing systems

SABA offers various solutions for sealing a tank base to ensure it is liquid-tight, water repellant, permanently elastic and chemically resistant. These systems can be applied in combination in new, as well as 
existing situations.
 

Triangular joint

A triangular joint seals the joint below the underside of the bottom plate and the underlying concrete foundation. 


Horizontal joint

A horizontal joint is positioned between the protruding bottom plate and the concrete foundation. This system can only be applied when the structure includes sufficient spacing.

Bridging joint

In a bridging joint the seal is applied to a single side across the protruding part of the tank base. On the other side it is attached to the foundation. This wider system is applied onsite.  

The benefits of SABA’s tank base sealing systems

SABA has more than 30 years’ experience with these systems. The service life of these SABA systems is more than 20 years. These seals are therefore exceptionally durable. All of our sealing systems have the following key properties:

  • Durable, flexible seal
  • UV-stable
  • Temperature-resistant
  • Chemically resistant
  • Excellent bonding, also to concrete
These properties in turn yield numerous benefits, such as: 
  • Low total cost of ownership
  • Low maintenance
  • Easy to repair when damaged by external factors
If you would like to know which system best meets your needs, do not hesitate to contact our specialists without obligation. They look forward to discuss the available options with you.

 

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The SABA Sealflex system

The SABA Sealflex system is our bridging joint system. This system can be perfectly combined with other existing SABA sealing systems. It effortlessly absorbs tank movements and, like all of our other tank base sealing systems, has an exceptionally long service life.

Because the system is applied in liquid form, it can be applied uninterrupted in any form and seamlessly around any curves and existing connections. When the system cures in the applied form, it retains its elastic characteristics.

The SABA Sealflex system furthermore offers other benefits, such as:

  • Effortlessly absorbs tank movements of several centimeters;
  • Can be combined with a leak detection system and with existing systems;
  • Permanently accessible for inspection.

Renovating your tank base seal

The Sealflex bridging joint system is easy to inspect visually. The system is easy to expand and repair. Various primers are available that allow the system to be bonded to various materials (concrete/steel). This makes the system highly suitable for maintaining and renovating tanks. As a result, it is an excellent solution for tank maintenance and renovation.

We look forward to assisting you in your search for the right sealing system for your tank base. Complete the form below and we will contact you as soon as possible.
 

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