Water Tower Inspection
Water Tower Inspection
(OP)
In the very near future I am going to be going to a unique location with limited access to survey a job site. While at this location I have been asked to look at a secondary project. This secondary project is a water tower that was taken out of service almost a decade ago due to "seismic damage". The client now wants to put this water tower back in service.
My job while on site is to visually inspect the tower and provide a preliminary assessment and recommend the next course of action. Ideally, a strctural engineer would be better qualified to do this, but we do not have one available. (Without question, structural engineers will have to be engaged at some point.)
What I am asking from the community at this point are things to be looking for (beyond the obvious buckled beams/columns) that would indicate a compromise to the integrity of the water tower or other reason it may have been labeled "seismic damage" and taken out of service. Pictures or other examples would be great.
Thanks.
My job while on site is to visually inspect the tower and provide a preliminary assessment and recommend the next course of action. Ideally, a strctural engineer would be better qualified to do this, but we do not have one available. (Without question, structural engineers will have to be engaged at some point.)
What I am asking from the community at this point are things to be looking for (beyond the obvious buckled beams/columns) that would indicate a compromise to the integrity of the water tower or other reason it may have been labeled "seismic damage" and taken out of service. Pictures or other examples would be great.
Thanks.






RE: Water Tower Inspection
RE: Water Tower Inspection
Pay special attention to visible concrete foundations including anchor bolts. Damage to either the concrete or the bolts is probably easily observed... if you look for it.
www.SlideRuleEra.net
www.VacuumTubeEra.net
RE: Water Tower Inspection
Steel? Welded or bolted?
Elevated?
Concrete ring foundation (type 1)? Self anchoring?
Cast-in-place concrete or prestressed concrete?
These different tanks have very different limit states and failure modes
RE: Water Tower Inspection
another reference to consider
RE: Water Tower Inspection
Managed to find what I believe is the tank on google earth and it appears to be ground mounted (so yea "tower" is looking to be wrong terminaology). I'm told the capacity is 200,000 gallons. I am assuming it is steel. Purpose is/was fire protection water for adjacent air terminal.
A drone is not going to be permitted.
I agree ther term "seismic damage" is broad, again that is what I was told. One of my objectives is to determine the nature of the "seismic damage".
Me too.
RE: Water Tower Inspection
RE: Water Tower Inspection
Was there any chance of liquefaction and settlement of the tower? Difficult to see, but any evidence of voids under any concrete slabs or supports
Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.
RE: Water Tower Inspection
As for luiqifaction, I don't know, haven't seen it yet. I won't rule it out, what should I look for that would be a tell-tale sign of liquifaction?
Leaning Tower of Pisa?
RE: Water Tower Inspection
www.SlideRuleEra.net
www.VacuumTubeEra.net
RE: Water Tower Inspection
RE: Water Tower Inspection
That looks like an interesting read, thanks.
chicopee,
Good idea, I hope I can get a good view of the insides, we will see.
RE: Water Tower Inspection
Dik
RE: Water Tower Inspection
Is the tank per NFPA 22? Is it an FM tank?
Look for damaged roof plates, top angle, or upper shell due to sloshing, if roof plates are damaged, looking for damaged structure inside.
Look for stretched/elongated anchor bolts or damaged shell around anchor bolt areas.
Look for "elephant's food bulge" around the tank.
Look for damaged piping or nozzles due to tank movement.
Check for general corrosion damage.
Prior to doing anything on any old tank, check for lead based paint; that will affect the economics considerably.
RE: Water Tower Inspection
RE: Water Tower Inspection
RE: Water Tower Inspection
The attached PDF includes a portion of my final field report with photos and observations.
Thanks for all the responses and input.
RE: Water Tower Inspection
What next?
Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.
RE: Water Tower Inspection
Given the location of a lot of the rust spots being at joints, the roof/wall interface and the base; I'm not sure I would trust that it could be adequately patched. There's a bunch of spots. If anyone thinks differently, please speak up.
Then there's the vegetation growing up under the tank where it meets the foundation.
Finally there's teh gulley on the north side where a drain is located. No signs of recent erosion; I'm thinking this gulley is more a result of a leak at one point that was patched. Would explain the buildup under the drain and the metal frame holding the drain pipe (no picture of the frame).
Erring on the conservative side, my recommendation to the powers that be is to replace it.