Modular storage tank

Claim 1

A rectangular storage tank for the containment of liquids and the like comprising a plurality of elongated upright frame members arranged to form a quadrilateral; top, bottom and intermediate horizontally disposed rail members secured to said upright frame members to define discrete modular sections formed by and intermediate two adjacent upright frame members, wall panels of thin gauge sheet metal, means for securing the ends of said panels to adjacent ones of said upright frame members to form a wall structure between said frame members, a flexible liquid-impervious liner internally of and depending from said wall panels, supplementing reinforcing/adjustor wall panels across the bottom of said wall panels up to the height of the intermediate rail members, said intermediate rail members being arranged at a height of approximately one-third of the total height of the tank, said supplementary reinforcing/adjustor wall panels being provided with inwardly facing horizontal flanges at the bottom thereof to prevent extrusion of the liner beneath said wall panels, cable tensioning means attached to top and bottom portions of said upright frame members, said cable tensioning means extending perpendicularly from one wall structure and across the interior of said tank to top and bottom portions of an upright frame member located in an opposite wall structure of said tank whereby outward hydrostatic loads within said tank from a contained liquid may be selectively compensated.