Oil Tanks and Retaining Walls

[Stefan]

We are trying to find out if our proposed new, above ground, plastic fuel oil tank legally needs to be surrounded by a "retaining" wall (to contain oil spills/leaks) - does anyone know of where we can find the definitive, current French Norms?

 

We have good reason to suspect our bill for the work may be being artificially inflated and need to find chapter and verse.

 

Thanks

Stefan (09)

 

[Chancer]

Don't know where to find the definitive normes but I am sure that if the tank is double skinned and NF then it can be used without a retaining bund wall.

Ergo anything else requires a bund, not that anyone around here takes any notice.

[Nick Trollope]

[quote user="Stefan"]

We are trying to find out if our proposed new, above ground, plastic fuel oil tank legally needs to be surrounded by a "retaining" wall (to contain oil spills/leaks) - does anyone know of where we can find the definitive, current French Norms?

 

[/quote]

You can buy the "normes" from AFNOR - www.afnor.fr.

But as JR says, your tank must be bunded - just go and buy a suitable tank, as a retaining wall would not be to spec - a bund has to be 10% larger and as well sealed.

 

[Gluestick]

Stefan: If you care to PM me I can supply the name of a translator in Brittany (English, technical and bi-lingual) who can supply a copy of the regs with diagrams in both French and English.

BTW, what people invariably forget with bunds, is that you must allow sufficient capacity to retain a full tank of oil: plus the displacement volume of the tank (as it sits in the bund!) plus, as Nick says 10%.

 

[Stefan]

Thanks for apparently confirming our suspicions everyone, we will be taking further advice next week.....