Thinking of doing it myself as I have a 3Tonne digger. I'm getting a 25,000L rainwater tank, the ground is slightly slope (500mm+ lower on one end).
My questions are:
-What sort of timber should I use for boxing the pad (is going to be permanent).
-Should I dig the higher ground level out to match the lower end or pack the lower end with top soil or sand?
-I'm guessing the sand needs to be compacted, will my digger be enough to do the job or do I need to hire a compactor?
Any advice/tips in regards building this type of sand pad would be much appreciated.
I would use crusher dust as it packs down and stays in place better. The purists would say you have to have boxing etc, but I just levelled the sand and put the tank on top. As you have a digger, I would level the ground with least possible disturbance, and only put a small amount of sand down. Main thing is to make sure there are no stones sticking up. Make sure you allow for draining the tank.
5 acres, Ferguson 35X and implements, Hanmay pto shredder, BMW Z3, Countax ride on mower, chooks, Dorper and Wiltshire sheep. Bosky wood burning central heating stove and radiators. Retro caravan. Growing our own food and preserving it. Small vineyard, crap wine.
We (Royal "we") levelled the ground, built boxing from ground-treated 6x2 ensuring it was absolutely level, then filled with sand. Sand tends to pack itself. (A few pictures
here
.)
A year later there were rushes growing all over the sand and it was consequently solid and wasn't going anywhere.
Yes, dig out the higher end which will allow for better drainage. We put a row of (2 high) hollow-stone blocks around ours for retaining. and the pump shed is built on top of it.You need to allow expansion room around the tank. Also we didn't use sand. We used fine metal and thumped it down with a compactor. We wet, raked, thumped, until nice and level and firm. Some tank people will tell you to put down a sand pad. This is ok if there is no possibility of flooding, but if you have an overflow on sand there is a good chance of undermining the tank and having the sand wash away. This could cause the tank to buckle.
Did you know, that what you thought I said, was not what I meant :S
Ours, if the fitting was broken off by some wicked animal, would flood out over the sand but now there are so many weeds growing around and right up against the tank that I doubt it would have too much effect.
Thanks for all the replies, just wondering do I still need to dig the top soil off on the low side or can I just lay sand/fine metal or similar over it?
Stikkibeek: Did you put any mortar/cement in between your hollow blocks?
fungus wrote: Thanks for all the replies, just wondering do I still need to dig the top soil off on the low side or can I just lay sand/fine metal or similar over it?
Personally I would remove the top soil if it were me, but it might not be necessary. I'd feel happier though if the sand were laid on a solid clay base, nicely levelled.
Do NOT cross this paddock! ... Unless you can do it in 9 seconds, 'cos the bull can do it in 10!
That looks dangerous! Those tanks weigh about 250kg, from memory. I nearly got run over by ours as Stephan was rolling it along the track and I was clearing large stones out of the way.
fungus wrote: Stikkibeek: Did you put any mortar/cement in between your hollow blocks?
Yes, we put a concrete fill in them and a cement/mortar between the layers
Ruth wrote: That looks dangerous! Those tanks weigh about 250kg, from memory. I nearly got run over by ours as Stephan was rolling it along the track and I was clearing large stones out of the way.
There was still a chock under it and tank sitting on the concave part of the deck. The driver was pushing the tank outwards and OH's job was just to stop it twisting until it was far enough for gravity to take over. If you look at the other photos you will notice that one ended up with intake side away from the back of the shed and we had to apply a long strop wrapped around the tank and gently pull with tractor to turn the tank around. Then it poured with rain a few nights later and we had a very tricky job putting it back where it had floated away from! It ended up halfway up that heap of metal! :whistle: I did suggest the necessity of putting water in it at the start, but sometimes blokes think they know best. :S
Did you know, that what you thought I said, was not what I meant :S
