Tank bands
HOLD THE WALL TRUE BEFORE IT COSTS YOU A TANK
A banded wall stays true. A wall left to spread turns a repair into a rebuild.
Short answer
What do concrete tank bands do?
Bands wrap the outside of a concrete tank and carry the outward push of the water. They stop the wall spreading. When a band rusts, slackens or breaks, the wall opens vertical cracks and starts to leak. Not every tank has bands or needs them. Where they are needed, we install new bands rather than re-tension old steel.
The work
What we do, and why
What fails in a tank band
Water pushes outward hardest at the bottom of the tank, so the lowest bands work the hardest and fail first.
What we find: - Corrosion where the band sits against damp concrete or in the splash zone - Tension lost over decades as the band creeps and the wall settles - Broken or seized tensioning lugs that can no longer be adjusted - Bands that were spaced too far apart when the tank was built - Bands cut or damaged by later plumbing or fencing work
How the problem is diagnosed
Vertical cracks in a concrete tank wall are the tell. A horizontal crack is usually a joint. A vertical crack means the wall is being pushed apart, and that is a band problem.
We walk the tank and look at every band: corrosion, straightness, lug condition and spacing. A band that has gone slack will move under hand pressure or sound dead when tapped. We also check whether the wall has already gone out of round, because a wall that has moved permanently needs a full set of new bands, not a tighter old one.
How the repair is done
We install new bands. We do not re-tension old ones, because band steel that has crept and lugs that have corroded will not hold the load again, whatever the gauge reads on the day.
Old bands are cut out and replaced with new galvanised or stainless band and new lugs, tensioned in sequence so the load goes on evenly around the tank. Loading one side hard is how walls get pulled out of shape. Where the original spacing was too wide for the tank height, extra bands go on.
If the tank is also being lined, bands are always done first. A liner fitted to a wall that is still moving will not last.
What drives the cost
Band work is priced by tank height and by how many bands the wall needs.
We quote each tank rather than publish rates. Every job is quoted firm after inspection, and the written quote is the price you pay.
How long it takes
Most tanks take a single day.
The tank normally has to be drawn down for band work, because tensioning against a full tank is neither safe nor accurate. We will tell you how far down it needs to go when we quote.
What warranty applies
Workmanship is warranted by us and the band material carries its manufacturer warranty. Both are written on the quote.
We will not warrant band work on a wall that has structural damage we recommended repairing and you chose to defer. If that is the situation we will say so in writing rather than take the job on a false promise.
Specifications
TANK BAND SPECIFICATIONS
Typical figures. Confirmed on inspection.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tank diameters served | 3 m to 25 m |
| Typical band life | 20 years plus for new galvanised or stainless band |
| Materials | Galvanised or stainless steel band, new tensioning lugs |
| Tank must be drawn down | Yes, level advised at quote |
| Time on site | 1 day for most tanks |
| Order of work | Bands first, then liner |
Tank bands
ASKED ON EVERY BAND JOB
Still stuck? Call 0499 142 149.
Vertical cracks in the wall and visible rust or slack in the bands. Horizontal cracking is usually a joint issue instead. Not every tank has bands, so the inspection tells you whether yours needs them.
No. We do not re-tension bands. Steel that has crept and lugs that have corroded will not hold the load again, so we install new bands instead.
Bands first, always. A liner in a wall that is still spreading will be worked until it fails.
Drawn down, not always fully empty. We will tell you the level we need before we book the day.
Related
WHAT USUALLY GOES WITH IT
Get a price
SEND US THE NUMBERS.
Diameter, height, outlets and a couple of photos. That's usually all we need to come back with a firm price. No site visit is needed to start.
Coverage
WE TRAVEL FOR TANKS
WA Tanks is based in Perth and works across Western Australia. We cover the Perth metro area, the South West, the Wheatbelt, the Mid West, the Great Southern and the Goldfields. Regional jobs are batched into runs, so the lead time depends on the next trip to your area.
Not on the list? Call, we usually travel there anyway.
Perth metro
Perth & HillsSwan ValleyRockinghamMandurahBullsbrookChitteringMetro jobs usually start within a week of the quote being accepted.
South West
BunburyBusseltonMargaret RiverManjimupBooked into the next South West run, so timing follows the run, not the call.
Wheatbelt
NorthamMerredinNarroginBooked into the next Wheatbelt run, so timing follows the run, not the call.