APPLICATION 84 · STORAGE TERMINALS, TANK FARMS & BULK HANDLING

Bunds, foundations and settlement systems

Assessment of visible foundation condition, settlement behaviour, containment areas and factors affecting tank stability. Within liquid and bulk-material storage and transfer facilities where containment is business-critical, this asset can directly influence containment integrity, corrosion, settlement, transfer reliability and environmental protection. A focused integrity programme should therefore connect the design basis, materials, service history, previous findings and current operating condition, so that inspection effort is directed to credible damage locations and produces information that supports practical maintenance decisions.

Bunds, foundations and settlement systems
Application & Asset Overview

Bunds, foundations and settlement systems

Assessment of visible foundation condition, settlement behaviour, containment areas and factors affecting tank stability. Within liquid and bulk-material storage and transfer facilities where containment is business-critical, this asset can directly influence containment integrity, corrosion, settlement, transfer reliability and environmental protection. A focused integrity programme should therefore connect the design basis, materials, service history, previous findings and current operating condition, so that inspection effort is directed to credible damage locations and produces information that supports practical maintenance decisions.

Integrity Focus

Principal considerations and IAIS UAE support

Principal integrity considerations

  • Section loss, pitting and coating breakdown in exposed or water-trapping areas.
  • Fatigue or weld cracking at connections, nodes, attachments and load-transfer details.
  • Deformation, impact damage, loosened fasteners, foundation movement and local overstress.

How IAIS UAE may support

  • Review drawings, loads, modifications and previous findings to identify critical members and connections.
  • Perform close visual examination, dimensional surveys, thickness measurement, weld NDT and difficult-access inspection where justified.
  • Record severity and location systematically and provide evidence for engineering review, repair design and maintenance planning.
Outputs & Requirements

Typical outputs and applicable standards

Typical outputs

Structural condition report, member and connection register, annotated photographs, dimensional/thickness data and prioritised actions.

Codes & standards

The activity may be planned and reported against the applicable provisions of API 650, API 620, API 653, API 575, API 651/652, API 579-1/ASME FFS-1, EEMUA 159 and statutory/client requirements. Final references and acceptance criteria remain subject to approved project and statutory requirements.

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