×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Water Reservoir

Water Reservoir

Water Reservoir

(OP)
Is it possible to modify walk-in freezer-type, structural panels or create these panels from scratch to use to assemble a water reservoir? The size of the reservoir would be 24 feet long by 20 inches high by 13 inches wide. There are other details involved like attaching casters but the main question would be if it were possible to assemble this reservoir from about 12 panels and make it watertight. The objective is to have the ability to assemble and disassemble the unit.

RE: Water Reservoir

What a strange question. In theory maybe, but depends on the structural strength of your panels and how it is supported. The weight of 20 inches of water is quite high for panels not designed fo this and they could easily break or bend so much your seal was not possible. An inner liner of plastic is far better to seal than trying to seal solid panels together, especially if it needs to be disassembled.

Some more details would be interesting - like why?, strength of your panels, how it is supported / type of frame you're thinking of using - things like that...

My motto: Learn something new every day

Also: There's usually a good reason why everyone does it that way

RE: Water Reservoir

Agreed, that's an odd question. I haven't a clue how walk-in freezer panels are built. I assume they would have insulation but don't know if they have any structural strength to speak of, either.
You can build water reservoirs out of a lot of materials, but it's hard to recommend anything in particular without knowing the application.

RE: Water Reservoir

(OP)
THE RESERVOIR WILL BE USED IN HYDROPONICS. I HAVE ALREADY MADE AN IDENTICAL RESERVOIR USING JUST PLYWOOD. THE RESERVOIR WAS ASSEMBLED USING NOTHING MORE THAN GLUE AND SCREWS AND THE INSIDE COATED WITH A RUBBER COMPOUND. IT WORKS PERFECTLY BUT CANNOT BE TAKEN APART. I WANT TO REMAKE/REDESIGN THIS SO THAT IT CAN BE TAKEN APART AND REUSED. THE PLANT SUPPORT/LIDS HAVE 2 GROOVES ON THE BOTTOM THAT SLIDE ONTO THE TOP EDGES OF THE PLYWOOD, LOCKING THE SIDES IN PLACE AND PREVENTING THEM FROM SPREADING OUT. IF ITS NOT FEASIBLE, THAN I WILL PURSUE OTHER AVENUES. ONE WAY IN WHICH FREEZER PANELS ARE MADE IS TO SANDWICH A 3 INCH CORE OF FOAMBOARD BETWEEN 2 SHEETS OF PLYWOOD WHICH ARE IN TURN COVERED WITH STAINLESS STEEL SHEET OR SOMETHING SIMILAR. THE ENDS HAVE 2X4 WOOD OR COMPOSITE MATERIAL THAT HAVE A CAMLOCK TYPE OF MECHANISM ATTACHED TO THE PANEL END, THAT LOCKS 2 PANELS TOGETHER WHEN TURNED. A QUICK SEARCH ON GOOGLE WILL DISPLAY MANY PHOTOS OF THESE PANELS.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources