Fabricating a Watertight Precast

Concrete Septic Tank

Dan Wagner – Milan Vault, Inc.

 SEPTIC TANK QUALITIES

What qualities do we want in a septic tank?

COST BENEFIT
DEPENDABLE
ECONOMICAL
Barney buys a concrete septic tank
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kW3JkVaAZEc&feature=related
 Components of Watertightness

• Engineering and Design

• Manufacturing

• Quality Assurance and Testing

• Installation
 Design Considerations
The septic tank must:
•
Withstand all loading conditions
–
Surface Surcharge
–
Concentrated wheel loads
–
Lateral Loads
–
Soil Bearing Capacity
 NO TRAFFIC / NO LOADS

240 psf  Click to edit the outline

(Earth Weight)
2' Cover
text format
 Second Outline
Level
180 psf avg. 5' 4' x 8' Tank 180 psf avg.
 Third Outline
(Assume 7,000 lbs.)

Level
Assume soil
Fourth
at 120 lb/ft3
Outline Level
415 psf (Earth + Tank Weight) Fifth
Outline
Level
 ASTM C 1227 LOADS
300 psf (L iv e L o a d s )

240 psf (E a r th W e ig h t)
2' C over

180 psf avg. 5' 4' x 8' Tank 180 psf avg.
(A s s u m e 7 ,0 0 0 lb s .)

A s s u m e s o il
a t 1 2 0 lb /ft 3

715 psf (E a r th , T a n k W e ig h t, L iv e L o a d s )
 LIGHT TRUCK TRAFFIC

325 psf (E a r th + L L W e ig h t) 2 ,2 5 0 lb s .
2' Cover w h e e l lo a d
L L = 8 5 lb /ft2

220 psf avg. 5' 4' x 8' Tank 220 psf avg.
(A s s u m e 7 ,0 0 0 lb s .)

A s s u m e s o il
a t 1 2 0 lb /ft3

500 psf (E a r th + L L + T a n k W e ig h t)
 Design Considerations
 Click
The septic tank must not to edit the outline
be buoyant; it
text format
must not float
 Second Outline
Level
 Third Outline
Level
Fourth
Outline Level
Fifth
Outline
Level
 Design Specifications

Tanks should be designed at least to:

• ASTM C1227
– Stdandard Specification for Precast Concrete Septic Tanks

• ASTM C890
– Standard Practice for Minimum Structural Design Loading for
Monolithic or Sectional Precast Concrete Water and Wastewater
Structures

• Local Codes, CSA B66, IAPMO/ANSI

Manufacturing and Installation
 NPCA Design Recommendations
• Minimum concrete thickness for conditions
• Clean forms in good conditions
• Proper reinforcement placement
• Prepour and post pour inspections
• A well designed concrete mix
• Proper finishing and curing
• Lifting inserts designed with S.F. = 4 min.
• Properly Sealed joints and fittings
The Manufacturing Process

Raw Materials
Mix Design
Reinforcement
Production Practices
(Seals, Fittings, and Joints)
Post-Pour Operations
 Raw Materials
Use quality, certified materials
•
Aggregates
•
Cement
•
Water
•
Admixtures
 Mix Design for Watertightness
•
Low Water/Cementitious Ratio!
–
A maximum of 0.45
• (weight of water / weight of cement and pozzolans)
•
Minimum 4,000 psi strength at 28 days
–
Minimum strength when shipped?
•
Quality materials, well graded aggregates
•
Volumetric proportioning (ACI 211)
•
Air entrainment
 WATER

STRENGTH POROSITY
 Aggregates

• Comprise of about 70% of the total volume

• Conform to ASTM C 33

• Clean and well graded

• Free from deleterious substances

• Moisture content checked daily

• Properly handled and stored

 Air Content
Entrained Air = Desirable
 Improves freeze/thaw resistance, ASR resistance, sulfate
resistance
 Improves workability
Entrapped Air = Non-desirable
 Bugholes
 Released through adequate vibration
 Purpose of Reinforcement

• Concrete is strong in compression but weak in tension

• Reinforcement supplies strength to withstand tensile

and shear forces experienced by concrete
• Sometimes tanks experience greatest forces during
stripping, handling, and transporting
Non-reinforced Concrete Behavior
Reinforced Concrete Behavior
 Reinforcement Requirements

•
Meet ASTM requirements (A615 or A706)
•
Designed to withstand all loading conditions
•
Provide adequate cover to protect from
corrosion (1” min. ASTM C1227)
•
Spaced properly, not touching formwork
Visible problems
REBAR SHOWING
Rebar Touching Form
 Click to edit the outline
text format
 Second Outline
Level
 Third Outline
Level
Fourth
Outline Level
Fifth
Outline
Level
What it should look like
 Click to edit the outline
text format
 Second Outline
Level
 Third Outline
Level
Fourth
Outline Level
Fifth
Outline
Level
 Pre-Pour Operations
• Pre-Pour activities include:
– Setting of formwork
• Forms must be cleaned and inspected after each use

– Positioning of steel reinforcement

– Positioning of Blockouts
– Positioning of embedded items (i.e. lifting
apparatus)
 Casting Concrete

• Placement of concrete is important

• Consolidating Concrete

– Insufficient vibration leads to poor

consolidation, excessive vibration causes
segregation

– Proper vibration techniques lead to smooth,

dense surfaces that promote impermeability
 Curing
Proper curing is important in developing strength,
durability, and watertightness

Two critical elements in curing

 Maintaining Correct Moisture
 Maintaining Concrete Temperature

Note: ACI 305 Hot Weather Concreting

ACI 306 Cold Weather Concreting
 Post Pour Practices
• Sufficient Strength for stripping

• Handle to reduce or eliminate damage

• Perform a post poor inspection

• Mark the casting with all required information

• Store product to prevent damage in storage

TANK SEAM / JOINT SEAL
• 3/8” maximum gap
between two mating
joint surfaces BEFORE
sealant is applied.
• ASTM C 1227-05 Section 10.3
 PROOF TESTING
ASTM C 1227-10a
• 9.1 Proof testing is used to demonstrate the strength of the
tank to resist anticipated external and internal loads.

• 9.1.1 Proof testing, when required by the purchaser, shall be

performed in such a way as to simulate the actual anticipated
loads.
 PROOF TESTING

• Calculate for anticipated actual loads

– Internal and external
– Soil loads, lateral earth loads
– Weight of tank

• Use live load at the surface of 300 lb/ft2

unless heavier loads are anticipated.
• Proof test to 150% of the anticipated
actual loads
 Proof Testing - Vacuum
With 300 psf Live Load from ASTM C-1227
300 psf (L iv e L o a d s )

240 psf (E a r th W e ig h t)
2' C over

180 psf avg. 5' 4' x 8' Tank 180 psf avg.
(A s s u m e 7 ,0 0 0 lb s .)

A s s u m e s o il
a t 1 2 0 lb /ft3

715 psf ( E a r t h , T a n k W e ig h t, L iv e L o a d s )
 Proof Testing - Vacuum
With 300 psf Live Load from ASTM C-1227
300 psf ( L iv e L o a d s )

Top Loads 2' C over

240 psf ( E a r t h W e ig h t )

• (540 psf) x 150%

= 810 psf
Floor Loads 180 psf avg. 5' 4' x 8' Tank
( A s s u m e 7 ,0 0 0 lb s .)
180 psf avg.

• (715 psf) x 150%

= 1,073 psf
A s s u m e s o il

Wall Loads a t 1 2 0 lb /f t 3

• (180 psf) x 150% 715 psf ( E a r t h , T a n k W e ig h t , L iv e L o a d s )

= 270 psf Since the floor load is the highest load force,
it can be used for vacuum testing.
1,073 psf = 14.9” Mercury
 Alternative Loads

• Typical loads for a septic tank are:

– Soils
– Internal fluids
– External soil / saturated soils
– Weight of tank
– Incidental loads from a vehicle
Proof Testing - Vacuum
With a concentrated wheel load of 2,250 pounds

325 psf (E a r th + L L W e ig h t) 2 ,2 5 0 lb s .
2' C over w h e e l lo a d
L L = 8 5 lb /f t 2

220 psf avg. 5' 4' x 8' Tank 220 psf avg.
( A s s u m e 7 ,0 0 0 lb s .)

A s s u m e s o il
a t 1 2 0 lb /ft3

500 psf ( E a r th + L L + T a n k W e ig h t)
 Proof Testing - Vacuum
With a concentrated wheel load of 2,250 pounds

325 psf ( E a r t h + L L W e ig h t ) 2 ,2 5 0 lb s .
2' C over w h e e l lo a d
Top Loads L L = 8 5 lb /f t 2

• (325 psf) x 150%

= 488 psf
220 psf avg. 5' 4' x 8' Tank 220 psf avg.
Floor Loads ( A s s u m e 7 ,0 0 0 lb s .)

• (500 psf) x 150%

= 750 psf A s s u m e s o il
a t 1 2 0 lb /f t 3
Wall Loads
500 psf ( E a r t h + L L + T a n k W e ig h t )
• (220 psf) x 150%
= 330 psf Since the floor load is the highest load force,
it can be used for vacuum testing.
750 psf = 10.4” Mercury (Better)
 Proof Testing - Alternative
• Place tank on a bed of sand (about 3”-4”)
• Vacuum test for the wall loads
– 330 psf or 4.6” of mercury

• Add weight to the top to simulate the additional live

and soil loads
– (750 psf) – (330 psf) = 420 lbs/ft2

• Add 1,680 lbs. (4 ft2 x 420 lbs/ft2)

on a 2’ x 2’ area in center
• Voluntary proof testing in Ohio - approved by ODH
Area for Additional Weight

2’ x 2’ Footprint
2' x 2' Footprint
 Testing in Action

Vacuum
Testing in Action
 Watertight Testing

Vacuum Testing

4” of Mercury (Hg), for 5 minutes,

must hold 100% to pass certification.

Per ASTM C 1227-10a

Vacuum Testing
Watertight Testing: In-Plant

Vacuum Test
Watertight Testing: In Field
 Watertight Testing

• Water Test
– Fill the tank
– Let stand for 24 hours
– Refill the tank
– Tank passes if water level does not drop within 1
hour

Sealing a Watertight Septic Tank

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaMb4Epo_2A
Watertight Testing: In-Plant

Water Test
Watertight Testing: In Field
 Installation
• Site and Excavation
– Locate buried utilities
– Safe and free of hazards
• Trees
• Overhead power lines

– Sloped or shored excavation if entry is required

 Installation
• Bedding
– Minimum of 4” of sand or granular bedding
– a firm uniform base
– Void of large boulders or rock edges
– Design to resist flotation in high water table
 Installation
• Placement of Tank
– Confirm orientation
– Inspect the bedding
– Check level of tank
– Slope should meet local
plumbing and building
codes
– Use safe lifting devices
designed for the load
 Installation
• Sealing On-site
– Use a high quality joint sealant
• Should conform to ASTM C 990
• Should be compressible for the temperatures
expected
• Molded into one continuous band
– Joint free of loose debris
– Remember to seal risers and lids also
 Installation
• Backfilling
– Uniform layers of less than 24” thick
– Free of large stones (>3” in diameter)

Don’t damage the tank!

 Commitment to Excellence
• Adopt a good quality control program

• Have management committed to program

• Have trained QC personnel and production crew

• Design to standard specifications as minimum