Storage Tank Design Codes and Standards

We supply tanks and vessels designed, manufactured, inspected, tested and certified to the
following codes and standards:
• The Pressure Equipment Directive 97/23/EC (the PED)
• PD5500 construction category 1, 2 or 3
• ASME VIII Div. 1 (non code stamped)
• BS EN 13445 press vessel
• BS EN 12079/DNV 2.7-1 Offshore containers and associated lifting sets
• BS EN 12285-1 & -2 (horizontal storage tanks, steel)
• BS 799-5 (oil storage tanks, steel)
• OFS T200 (oil storage tanks, steel)

API 650 (< 2.5 psig, up to 500ºF = 260ºC) / EN 14015 (max. 500 mbar or about 7.25 psig)
treats flat bottomed tanks
API 650 storage tanks are often designed to work at temperatures of up to 500ºF (260ºC).
For these higher temperature designs, the allowable stress of the material decreases. As a
result, the required wall thickness increases in a linear fashion when using the 1-foot method
and in a slightly non-linear fashion when using the variable point method.

API 620 (< 15 psig, (maximum design temperature of 250˚F.)

The design configuration of API 620 requires that you have an elevated or flat bottom on
which to store it. The tank has a single, vertical, centered axis of revolution with a minimum
material thickness of 3/16 inch.

ASME VIII (with or without stamp)

UL142 (cover steel primary, secondary and diked type atmospheric storage tanks intended
for the storage of noncorrosive, stable flammable and combustible liquids with a specific
gravity (spg) not exceeding 1.0 (H2O2 50% sg = 1.2) in aboveground applications, except
for tanks storing liquids with a specific gravity that exceeds 1.0, covered in Section 12.)

(API-650 only pertains to vertical axis, flat bottomed tanks)

Of the three standards, UL-142 is the "minimal" way to go. (In my opinion, suitable only for
atmospheric storage of petroleum products)
The process chemical industry uses ASME-VIII a lot....
DIN 6616 - Horizontal single-wall and double-wall steel tanks for the above ground storage
of flammable and non-flammable water polluting liquids (FOREIGN STANDARD) Standards
Connect.

BS EN 12285-2:2005
Workshop Fabricated Steel Tanks. Horizontal Cylindrical Single Skin And Double Skin Tanks
For The Aboveground Storage Of Flammable And Non-Flammable Water Polluting Liquids
(British Standard)
not applicable for the storage of liquids having dangerous good
Explosives Class 4.2 Substances liable to spontaneous combustion Class
4.3 Substances which in contact with water emit flammable gases Class
5.2 Organic peroxides Class 6.2

ASME vs PD 5500 and EN 13445 = ASME heavier, others lighter and more efficient vessels.
FEA Analysis = Finite Element Analysis, verify the design

ASME VIII Div. 1 is best suit for hydrogen peroxide storage in a horizontal tank for it is
volatile, unstable, caustic, prone to pressure build up etc.
  Horizontal axis, dished end tanks are ALWAYS more expensive than flat bottomed,
vertical tanks for low pressure liquid storage. You should have a good reason to be
selecting this type of tank..... "my boss said to do it this way" is not a good reason.

 Flat bottomed tanks are limited to 2.5 psig design pressure under API-650 and ASME
VIII tank rules are for storage at 15 psig and above.

 Horizontal tanks (sometimes called bullets) are economically supported on two

saddles and must resist the bending stresses generated by this type of support as
well as the concentrated stresses at the horn of the supporting saddle.

 Based on this, the answer to your question is that low pressure horizontal tanks are
commonly designed to the rules of ASME VIII with a minimum pressure of 14 psig.
No code stamp or certification is required.

 The tank cost will, of course, also be controlled by your selection of diameter, length
and accessories.

Use of ASME section VIII (no code stamp) will cover ALL TANK SIZES, ALL LIQUID
SGs and provides complete, conservative and competent designs....... like it has for
the past 75 years !

All four specifications were produced to provide guidelines for design storage tanks;
however, each specification was produce to give a specific area of the storage tank.

API 650:

 API-650 is a general specification for designing welded steel storage tank for oil
storage
 Large size storage tank
 Temperature: -40F to 500F
 Pressure: up to 2.5 psig

API 620:

 Design and Construction of large welded low pressure storage tank

 Large size storage tank
 Temperature: -325F to 250F
 Pressure: up to 15 psig

API 12D:

 API 12D is field fabricated tank of production liquids

 Smaller in size compared to API 650/620
 Temperature: Ambient

API 12F:

 API 12F is shop fabricated tank of production liquids

 Smaller in size compared to API 650/620
 Temperature: Ambient
 API 12F is intended to use for oilfield service mostly
 For further consideration regarding storage tanks

 API 12B - Bolted Storage Tanks of Production Liquids

 API 12P - Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic Tanks
 UL-142 - aboveground steel storage tanks are designed for storing flammable and
combustible liquids
 API 653, Tank Inspection, Repair, Alteration, and Reconstruction

NFPA 430, Code for the Storage of Liquid and Solid Oxidizers

Examples of NFPA Class 2 oxidizers include:

 calcium chlorate.
 calcium hypochlorite (50% or less by weight)
 chromic acid (chromium trioxide)
 1,3-dichloro-5,5-dimethylhydantoin.
 hydrogen peroxide (27.5 to 52% by weight)
 magnesium perchlorate.
 nitric acid (concentration greater than 40% but less than 86%)

Comparison of Welded Steel Tank Design Standards

Standard AWWA API 650* API 620* API 12F* API 12D*
D100**
Description Welded Welded Design and Specification Specification
Carbon Steel Steel Construction for Shop for Field
Tanks for Tanks for of Large, Welded Welded
Water Storage Oil Storage Low- Tanks for Tanks for
Pressure Storage of Storage of
 Storage Production Production
Tanks Liquids Liquids
Product Stored Water Any Liquid Any Liquid Any Liquid Any Liquid
Wastewater
Configuration Ground- Ground- Any Ground- Ground-
Supported Supported configuration Supported or Supported
Bottom Bottom that has a Skirted Bottom
Open or Open or single Bottom Closed Roof
Closed Roof Closed centered, Closed Roof
Roof vertical axis
Elevated of revolution
Tanks
Shop/Field Field Erected Shop Field Erected Shop Field Erected
Erected (Appendix Erected
J) or Field
Erected
Tank Sizes Any Any Any Only sizes as Only sizes as
listed listed in
in Table Table 1 of
1 (7’-6 API 12D
Diameter to (15’-6
15’-6 Diameter to
Diameter) 55’-0
Diameter)
Temperature Ambient -40 Deg. F -325 Deg. F Ambient Ambient
Range to 500 Deg. to 250 Deg.
F F
Maximum Atmospheric 2.5 psig 15 psig As shown in As shown in
Pressure (pounds Table 1 (8 – Table 1 (3 –
per square 16 oz/in^2) 8 oz/in^2)
inch gage) based on based on
tank size tank size

Materials Carbon Steel Carbon Carbon Steel Carbon Steel Carbon Steel
Steel Austenitic
Austenitic Stainless
Stainless Steel
Steel Nickel Alloys
Duplex (Low Temp
Stainless only)
Steel
Aluminum
Uses/Industries Primarily for Oil, Gas, API 620 12F tanks 12D tanks
municipal Chemical, tanks are are are
water storage Water, and used for standardized standardized
or wastewater Bio-Fuel product that shop tanks tanks built in
process but storage. needs high built in accordance
also found API 650 internal accordance with API
industrially tanks are pressure with API 12F, 12D,
 when water some of the such as LNG including including
storage is most tanks or dimensions dimensions
necessary common Cryogenic and internal and internal
welded tanks. and external and external
steel tanks pressures. pressures.
used in Primary use Primary use
industry. is for the is for the
Most tanks storage of storage of
in production oil production oil
Refineries, & produced & produced
Terminals, water. water.
Pipelines,
and other
process
facilities
use these
tanks.
*API – American Petroleum Institute
**AWWA – American Water Works Association