Issues related to Class A storage tanks and Class A warehouses in building codes
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There are 4 above-ground ethanol storage tanks, which are located in a enclosed warehouse; the warehouse is surrounded by a dike 60 cm high. In this case, should the fire separation distances be determined in accordance with the requirements for Class A warehouses as specified in the building codes, or those for Class A liquid storage areas? Another question is whether storage tanks of categories A and B must be placed outdoors or in semi-open warehouses Can it still be stored in a closed warehouse? What is the basis for the standard? Ps: The volume of the storage tanks is relatively small, around 10 cubic meters.
One additional question: For Class A and Class B storage tanks located in an independent warehouse, is it still necessary to construct fire dikes outside the warehouse in accordance with the requirements of Article 4.2.5 of the building codes?
For Category A and Category B items stored in warehouses, there is a critical volume table (the rationale for the interpretation of Article 3.12 in the Building Code, page P183); the maximum storage amount specified in this table is 100 kg, and your four horizontal storage tanks with a capacity of 10 cubic meters each are definitely not suitable. At the same time, refer to Clause 2.2.1 of HG/T20546.2-2009: when arranging equipment, efforts should be made to minimize risks; placing storage tanks in a warehouse increases such risks.
According to Article 3.6.12 of the Building Code, factories storing Class A, B, and C liquids must be equipped with facilities for draining such liquids. For details, please refer to the explanations of the relevant provisions below! Once again, storage tanks must not be placed inside warehouses. If it’s an open-air tank farm, a fire dike must definitely be installed!
Hello, thank you very much for your advice. I have a different view; Code 3.1.2 primarily specifies the principles for determining the fire hazard level of a single factory building when it contains substances with different fire hazards. The value in Table 2 on page P183 represents the maximum allowable amount for determining the fire hazard classification based on the physical hazards of a substance; for example, the maximum allowable amount for gasoline in that table is 0.004 L per cubic meter, which is equivalent to 100 L. I believe that when the value exceeds 100L and 0.004L/cubic meter, the facility is classified as Category A; whereas if it is less than 100L and 0.004L/cubic meter, it is not considered Category A. By your reasoning, if the maximum storage capacity for Class A and Class B warehouses exceeds 100 kg and that constitutes a violation, then in practice almost all such warehouses would be in violation of the rules, as the storage capacity for any warehouse is measured in tons.
Which specific regulatory clause requires that storage tanks not be placed in warehouses?
It has already been built; now it’s a matter of figuring out how to make improvements
This one has already been built. I know it’s better to arrange it in an open layout, but the regulations don’t allow for changes, so it’s not possible to modify it...
This one has already been built. I know it’s better to arrange it in an open layout, but the regulations don’t allow for changes, so it’s not possible to modify it...
The last edit to this post was made by Watcher Star on 2018-12-6 at 16:29. First, make sure that the structure of your warehouse is correct and meets the specified requirements. It’s just that you set up a cofferdam outside the warehouse; otherwise, why would you do that? It’s completely unnecessary to have one as a warehouse. It indicates that you have already treated it as a tank farm. By the way, you can check your overall diagram; there should be instructions on it. Second, it should be able to be stored in a closed warehouse.