Storage tanks

Claim 1

A system providing large volume enclosed storage capacity for material, comprising an assembly of closed tanks disposed at different levels of the natural terrain on which the system is sited, each of said closed tanks being of restricted height and of elongate configuration resting on respective elongate ground tank sites, the longitudinal axes of the tanks extending horizontally and lengthwise of the tank sites, and wherein a plurality of the closed tanks at one of said levels of the terrain are disposed substantially end to end and separated from one another so as to form a group and wherein the longitudinal axis of at least one of said closed tanks is curvilinear when taken in plan view so as to substantially conform to a curvilinear contour line of said natural terrain on which the said one closed tank is sited, each said tank including a plurality of longitudinally-extending containment barriers at least one of which is made of concrete.

Claim 2

A system providing large volume enclosed storage capacity for material, comprising an assembly of closed tanks disposed at different levels of the natural terrain on which the system is sited, each of said closed tanks being of restricted height and of elongate configuration resting on respective elongate ground tank sites, the longitudinal axes of the tanks extending horizontally and lengthwise of the tank sites, and wherein a plurality of the closed tanks at one of said levels of the terrain are disposed substantially end to end and separated from one another so as to form a group and wherein the longitudinal axis of at least one of said closed tanks is curvilinear when taken in plan view so as to substantially conform to a curvilinear contour line of said natural terrain on which the said one closed tank is sited, each said tank including a plurality of longitudinally-extending containment barriers at least one of which is made of concrete.

Claim 6

A method of constructing a system providing large volume enclosed storage capacity for material, said method comprising preparing an assembly of elongate ground tank sites at different levels of the natural terrain on which the system is to be sited, a plurality of said sites at one of said levels of the terrain being arranged end to end and separated from one another such that the longitudinal axis thereof, when taken in plan view, substantially conforms to a natural ground contour line of the terrain in which the system is sited, and constructing in situ closed tanks of restricted height of elongate configuration resting on said tank sites with the longitudinal axes of said tanks respectively extending lengthwise of said tank sites and, when taken in plan view substantially conforming to a contour line of the natural terrain on which the system is sited and wherein the longitudinal axis of at least one of said closed tanks is curvilinear when taken in plan view so as to substantially conform to a curvilinear portion of the contour line at the predetermined level at which said one closed tank is constructed, said structure including a plurality of longitudinally-extending containment barriers at least one of which is made of concrete.

Claim 7

A method of constructing a system providing large volume enclosed storage capacity for material, said method comprising preparing an assembly of elongate ground tank sites at different levels of the natural terrain on which the system is to be sited, a plurality of said sites at one of said levels of the terrain being arranged end to end and separated from one another such that the longitudinal axis thereof, when taken in plan view, substantially conforms to a natural ground contour line of the terrain in which the system is sited, and constructing in situ closed tanks of restricted height of elongate configuration resting on said tank sites with the longitudinal axes of said tanks respectively extending lengthwise of said tank sites and, when taken in plan view substantially conforming to a contour line of the natural terrain on which the system is sited and wherein the longitudinal axis of at least one of said closed tanks is curvilinear when taken in plan view so as to substantially conform to a curvilinear portion of the contour line at the predetermined level at which said one closed tank is constructed, said structure including a plurality of longitudinally-extending containment barriers at least one of which is made of concrete.

Claim 10

A method of manufacturing a tank farm comprising designating on a map of the terrain in which the tank farm is to be located, elongate strips of ground surface located at different predetermined levels of said terrain, the longitudinal axis of each of which strips, when taken in plan view, substantially conforms to a contour line of the map, forming tank sites in the terrain in the form of shallow trenches corresponding to the location of said strips, constructing on each of said tank sites an elongate, closed tank having its longitudinal axis substantially horizontal, its vertical dimension being substantially the same as the depth of the trench, wherein a plurality of the closed tanks at one of said levels of the terrain are disposed substantially end to end and separated from one another and wherein the longitudinal axis of at least one of said closed tanks is curvilinear when taken in plan view so as to substantially conform to a curvilinear portion of the contour line at the predetermined level at which said one closed tank is constructed, and covering the tanks with the earthworks excavated from said trenches substantially to restore the contour of the natural terrain, each said tank including a plurality of longitudinally-extending containment barriers at least one of which is made of concrete.

Claim 11

A method of manufacturing a tank farm comprising designating on a map of the terrain in which the tank farm is to be located, elongate strips of ground surface located at different predetermined levels of said terrain, the longitudinal axis of each of which strips, when taken in plan view, substantially conforms to a contour line of the map, forming tank sites in the terrain in the form of shallow trenches corresponding to the location of said strips, constructing on each of said tank sites an elongate, closed tank having its longitudinal axis substantially horizontal, its vertical dimension being substantially the same as the depth of the trench, wherein a plurality of the closed tanks at one of said levels of the terrain are disposed substantially end to end and separated from one another and wherein the longitudinal axis of at least one of said closed tanks is curvilinear when taken in plan view so as to substantially conform to a curvilinear portion of the contour line at the predetermined level at which said one closed tank is constructed, and covering the tanks with the earthworks excavated from said trenches substantially to restore the contour of the natural terrain, each said tank including a plurality of longitudinally-extending containment barriers at least one of which is made of concrete.