for an oil storage terminal. If sloping land is used, more land will be 

 necessary to provide equal amounts of storage as flat land areas. In 

 sloping areas, the tanks can be located on tiers. Shown below are the 

 diameters for various sized tanks with a height of 64 feet: 



Tank Capacity Diameter 



(barrels) (feet) 



250,000 180 



500,000 240 



750,000 290 



It can be seen that as volumes increase, a larger level area will be 

 needed. To provide flat areas or tiers on sloping ground will necessitate 

 considerable grading and even excavation. More earthwork will be needed 

 to provide protective dikes around each tank. Thus, flat land is highly 

 preferred because of the lower costs and fewer difficulties of constructing 

 an oil storage terminal. 



Oil storage terminals will be located above the 100-year flood zone 

 if possible. In areas subject to tsunamis (tidal waves associated with 

 earthquake and/or volcanic activity), they will be located at least a 

 hundred feet above high water. High locations are also preferred because 

 they permit gravity discharge of tanks, thereby reducing the power 

 requirements of the terminal. 



Oil storage tanks require foundations that are not subject to 

 settling and that have a bearing capacity in excess of 7,000 pounds per 

 square foot. If bearing capacity requirements cannot be met, pile 

 foundations are necessary. 



Construction/Installation 



The construction of an oil storage terminal will require land 

 clearing, grading and earth work operations, retention dikes, access 

 roads, and parking areas. If the site is only slightly above water, 

 considerable dredging and filling may also occur to raise the elevation 

 of the site. These various operations will all require the use of heavy 

 construction machinery such as bulldozers, drag lines, and graders. 



Oil storage terminals are usually constructed by a consortium of 

 construction companies, each of which specializes in a certain type of 

 work. One company may do most of the earth work (grading and foundations), 

 whereas another will fabricate the tanks and install the terminal's 

 piping and electrical networks. These subcontracting companies will 

 work for a principal contractor who often designs the facilities and 

 then inspects and supervises the construction. The principal contractor 



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