Roth tank

chuck172

I'll be installing a roth 275 gallon tank outdoors soon. Must I pour a concrete pad or can I used tamped sand or pea gravel, and set two concrete lintels below the roth base?

Steam_Starter

#2 oil weighs 8.2 lbs per gallon. 275 tank will net approximately 250 gals net x 8.2 = 2050 lbs. plus the approximate tare weight of the tank @ 200 lbs = 2250 lbs / 2 = 1125 lbs per foot (or skid).

Since the dimensions of the feet are not given one has to assume full load per skid foot and gravel / tamped sand will not accommodate the weight of the tank and fuel combined. Suggest largest surface area one can acquire with lentils due to the fact that ground can soften due to rain / snow thus reduce the compression coefficient of the compacted underlayment. Go with the lentils and get the biggest ones you can handle for placement under the tank. If you want to cover lentils, use gravel with a thick plastic sheeting overlay under any substrait you use to divert water away from the lentils and mitigate any penetration of water into the underground.

This should eliminate any compacting of the soil after you firmly tamp it down prior to installation.

JLG

Robert O'Brien

Code here requires a full solid pad either poured or pre-cast. Why skimp?

chuck172

I'll pour a pad, thanks