What are the fire safety distance requirements between underground ethanol storage tanks and other buildings?
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This post was last edited by hjhjxnyt on 2016-3-17 at 14:35. For a pharmaceutical project, two ethanol storage tanks with a capacity of 5 m3 each need to be installed; they are intended to be placed underground (not buried). What should be the fire separation distance from other buildings in this case? 1. According to Article 4.2.1 of the Code for Fire Protection Design of Buildings, the situation of underground tank areas is not addressed; should it be treated as equivalent to above-ground tank areas? 2. In accordance with Article 4.0.9 of the \"Code for Design and Construction of Automobile Fueling and Gas Refueling Stations\", note 3: The distance between buried LNG storage tanks, underground LNG storage tanks, and semi-underground LNG storage tanks and the structures built outside the station should be no less than 50%, 70%, and 80% of the safety distances specified for above-ground LNG storage tanks in this table, respectively; moreover, this distance must not be less than 6 meters. Can ethanol storage tanks follow this specification? 3. According to 7.1.5 of the \"Code for Design and Construction of Automobile Fueling and Gas Filling Stations\", LPG storage tanks must be installed indoors or in basements; this is a mandatory requirement. Since the density of LPG gas is greater than that of air, and the density of ethanol gas is also higher than that of air, is it possible to use underground storage tanks? I hope experienced experts can offer some guidance file:///C:\DOCUME~1\liujx\LOCALS~1\Temp\G@YVKCPZR)X}3UKB(_VF`LW.giffile:///C:\DOCUME~1\liujx\LOCALS~1\Temp\G@YVKCPZR)X}3UKB(_VF`LW.giffile:///C:\DOCUME~1\liujx\LOCALS~1\Temp\G@YVKCPZR)X}3UKB(_VF`LW.gif
The fire hazard classification for ethanol storage tanks is Class A. Class A storage tanks should not be underground or semi-underground; they must either be above ground or buried.
Then why can LNG storage tanks be of underground and semi-underground types? And can small ethanol storage tanks not be placed underground either? The reality is that in many small plant extraction facilities, the ethanol storage tanks are located underground or semi-underground. I have always had doubts regarding this issue; I would appreciate it if the moderator could provide some guidance
It’s difficult to explain because the standards for implementation vary, and the safety supervision agency constantly issues new guidelines. Mainly, underground and semi-underground structures are prone to problems. Indeed, many ethanol storage tanks are built underground or semi-underground, but now many of them have been identified by experts as requiring modifications. To avoid future problems, it is not recommended to use a method that is neither underground nor buried.
Yes, it can be installed directly on the ground or buried directly; the regulations are quite clear on this matter. However, clause 4.2.2 of the building codes does specify the fire separation requirements between above-ground, underground, and semi-underground storage tanks for liquids of categories A and B. In fact, owners choose underground installation in order to save space, so they want to know whether the required separation distance can be smaller than that for above-ground installations; on the other hand, burying the tanks makes maintenance more difficult