Lorri Grainawi
Steel Tank Institute
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 UL 58 - Standard for Steel Underground
Tanks for Flammable and Combustible
Liquids
 ULC S615 - Standard for Reinforced Plastic
Underground Tanks for Flammable and
Combustible Liquids
 UL 1316 - Glass-Fiber-Reinforced Plastic
Underground Storage Tanks for Petroleum
Products, Alcohols, and Alcohol-Gasoline
Mixtures
 ULC S603 - Standard for Steel
Underground Tanks for Flammable And
Combustible Liquids
 ULC S603.1 - External Corrosion Protection
Systems for Steel Underground Tanks for
Flammable and Combustible Liquids
 UL 1746 - Standard for External Corrosion
Protection Systems For Steel Underground
Storage Tanks
UL 80 - Standard for
Steel Tanks for OilBurner Fuel
ULC ORD-C80.1 Non-Metallic Tanks for
Fuel Oil
UL 142 - Standard for
Steel Aboveground
Tanks for Flammable
and Combustible
Liquids
UL 2245 - Standard
for Below-Grade
Vaults for Flammable
Liquid Storage Tanks
ULC S601 - Standard
for Shop Fabricated
Steel Aboveground
Horizontal Tanks
 UL 2085 - Standard for
Protected
Aboveground Tanks
for Flammable and
Combustible Liquids
 SwRI - Southwest
Research Institute
 SwRI 97-04
 SwRI 93-01
 API - American
Petroleum Institute
 API 12F
 API 650, App. J
 UL 971 - Standard for Nonmetallic
Underground Piping For Flammable
Liquids
 SU 971A - METALLIC UNDERGROUND FUEL
PIPE
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SU means the document is an Outline of
Investigation, not a Standard
 ULC S660 - Standard for Nonmetallic
Underground Piping for Flammable and
Combustible Liquids
 SU87A - Power-Operated Dispensing
Devices for Gasoline/Ethanol Blends with
Ethanol Content Greater Than 15 Percent
 ULC ORD-C142.19 - Spill Containment
Devices for Aboveground Flammable and
Combustible Liquid Storage Tanks
 UL 157 - Standard for Gaskets and Seals
 UL 330 - Standard for Hose and Hose
Assemblies for Dispensing Flammable
Liquid
 UL 525 - Standard for Flame Arresters
 UL 536 - Standard for Flexible Metallic
Hose
 UL 860 - Pipe Unions for Flammable and
Combustible Fluids and Fire-Protection
Service
 UL 1106 - Standard for Marine Manually
Operated Shutoff Valves for Flammable
Liquids
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SU 2583 - FUEL TANK ACCESSORIES
SU 2215 - OIL/WATER SEPARATORS
NLPA 631- Linings
API 1631 - Linings
Consistent
Cover all necessary requirements
Without unnecessary restrictions
Be able to test as efficiently as possible
Clear and concise
Anyone should be able to read test,
understand it and duplicate the test
 Fill in the blank… ________________
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 Prescriptive

ULC S603, Steel Underground Tanks
 Performance

UL 971, Non-metallic piping
 Calculation

UL 58, steel thickness
 All three methods should cover
structural design, product
compatibility and safety issues
 Steel head, or end plate thickness
 Weld joints allowed
 Fitting details
 Specifies weld joint
designs
 Air pressure shop
test, 3 – 5 psi
 UL allows either a
calculated approach,
using formula known
as “Roark” OR
 Performance test, with
limitations,
 Roark is a conservative
approach. Does not
rely on backfill for
support.
 Coating tests
mirrored after FRP
tank standard
 Interstitial
communication is
required
 Mainly
performance
standard, 2009
ANSI approved
UL 1316
ISBN 1-55989-385-0
Glass-Fiber-Reinforced Plastic
Underground Storage Tanks for
Petroleum Products, Alcohols, and
Alcohol-Gasoline Mixtures
1996
Atmospheric Tank
Single wall
Double wall
Does not cover
heating coils or
compartment tanks
 Mainly
performance, but
 Steel fittings and
venting specified
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 Three tests
Water load test,
one hour
 External Pressure on
buried tank
 Internal pressure
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12 External Pressure Test
12.1 A tank shall be tested as
described in 12.2. The tank shall not
implode or otherwise be damaged.
12.2 The empty tank is to be installed
in a test pit using the specified
anchoring system and the specified
backfill procedure. The pit is then to be
filled with water to such a level that
the tank is submerged to its maximum
specified burial depth. The tank is to
remain submerged for 24 hours. While
the tank is still submerged, it is to be
subjected for 1 minute to a partial
internal vacuum so that the internal
pressure on the tank is 5.3 inches of
mercury less than the external
pressure imposed by the hydrostatic
head.
13 Internal Pressure Test
A tank shall withstand without rupture
for 1 minute to an internal pressure as
specified:
10 ft dia or less,
25 psi
Greater than 10 ft, 15 psi
 Immersion Testing - 180 to 270 days
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Must maintain 50% of strength
 Impact and Cold Exposure
16 hour conditioning
 1.18 lb ball
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 Light and water exposure
180 to 360 hour exposure
 Must maintain 80% strength
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 Comprehensive test
program with 27
possible tests
 Interstitial
communication
 Puncture & crush
resistance
 Pressure & Vacuum
 Permeation
 Impact
 Product
compatibility testing
(100% ethanol & 100%
methanol
 Failure to burst
 Failure modes
include cracking,
splitting, bulging,
collapse and
delamination
 Scope currently covers vapor control,
emergency vents, normal vents, caps and
covers
 Prescriptive in that it states min/max for
pipe diameters
 Performance to prove protection against
 Rain entry
 Ice Blocking
 Test fluids include Biodiesel &
aggressive fuels
 Scope includes
meters, hoses,
pumps, etc.
 Product
compatibility
testing includes
aggressive fuels
 Cyclic endurance
testing done for
moving parts
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 Test fluids vary
 Only one standard
includes biodiesel
 Two test with
aggressive fluids
 Steel does not
require testing
 Interstitial
communication
required for three
UL standards
 Performance
based mixed with
prescriptive
requirements with
some calculation
UL standards cover only to the
point the product leaves the
factory