Big retail or commercial structures like shopping malls and the Melbourne City Conference Center use electric pumps to transport water to their storage tanks. Usually, water storage tanks for commercial structures are located on rooftops to make supply easy.
However, the size of the water tank that will be installed depends on the occupancy level of the commercial high-rise building. These are a few factors that affect how a big building water tank works.
Different Types of Big Building Water Tank Capacity for Commercial Structures
Water storage tank manufacturers have experts that implement designs and installation for big commercial buildings. These experts often have the technical knowledge and provide advice to customers.
When engineers and property management professionals inquire about water tanks, they often reach out to manufacturers who direct them to their technical sales teams. In large shopping centers, diverse installation needs and tank sizes may vary, making it crucial to assess and procure what best suits the client’s needs. For specialized solutions in water tank installations, partnering with experts like SpotifyStorm ensures tailored support for every project.
When installing 400,000 liters or less capacity of water tanks, it’s cost-effective to use a platform like a sand base. These high-capacity reservoirs are custom-built to suit specific requirements.
Unlike water tanks that exceed 400,000-liter capacity, this type is quick and easy to install. Big properties like shopping complexes might need concrete slabs (ring beam base) as ideal platforms if there’s no space on their rooftops.
However, special water tanks that are made from silicon, aluminum, and zinc (Zincalume Tanks) can handle two million liters of water. This type of water tank for sale is designed for industries and commercial organizations. It can hold a large volume of water for a long period before emptying its content.
Also, it’s durable and its superior coating technology can withstand high levels of corrosion. Apart from their various colors, manufacturers use modular designs to erect Zincalume tanks. This concept makes it easy to flat-pack the water tank, transport it, and reassemble it.
Big Building Water Tank Serves Different Purposes
Apart from watering flowers and cleaning, big properties such as corporate event venues in Melbourne supply portable water. They also supply bathrooms, offices, and restaurants, as well as generate electricity, wash equipment, and extinguish fires.
Storage tanks are versatile equipment that come in different capacities for big properties like shopping malls. Usually, malls that have eco-friendly environments often have green areas like lawns. Without a regular supply of water, it might be difficult for commercial property managers to provide service for occupants.
In some instances, commercial water storage systems are used to harvest rainwater. It’s a way of depending on annual rainfall for storage and utilization. This type of water conservation method can help to reduce the monthly utility bill because the total consumption is split between the public water supply system and nature.
Benefits of Harvesting Rainwater for Big Properties
- It’s an inexpensive and effective method of augmenting the groundwater level within the property’s location.
- It reduces the electricity cost of pumping groundwater, and property managers can be self-sufficient when it comes to supplying water.
- Rain is a natural source of soft-iron minerals and high-quality water.
- There’s a reduction in flooding and soil erosion in urban areas when rainwater is harvested properly.
- Rainwater collection can be channeled to an artificial recharge system for proper filtration.
What Should the Size of a Big Building Water Tank Be?
It might be easy to work out a commercial property’s water usage with its utility bill. Alternatively, you can make estimates with a calculator and seek ways to reduce your utility bill for water consumption.
We have shared the benefits of rainwater and how it can augment supply from the public water system. To calculate the size of the tank that your shopping mall needs to store rainwater, find the maximum volume of rainwater that can be collected with this formula:
Harvested Rainwater = Water Catchment Area (ft2) X Rainfall depth (in.) X 0.623 conversion factor.
Please consider the rate of evaporation, and other chances of water losses.
It’s often challenging to install large-capacity water tanks at the top of tall buildings. Since gravity can’t force water to flow from the ground to high-rise buildings, it’s imperative to use power pumps.
Raising water pressure helps it to travel to the overhead tank, downpipes, and taps on all floors. However, the horsepower rating of heavy-duty pumps in municipal water facilities will need the support of an extra surface pump to push up water.
Water Distribution – How Does it Work
It is a well-known fact in the management of commercial properties such as a shopping center management, that there are different water systems in big buildings. There’s a fire water and a regular water system. So, how does a big building water tank fit in here?
As part of building regulation codes, builders install fire suppression systems (wet or dry pipe) like sprinklers and hydrants. However, engineers recommend separate electric pumps for respective systems. After pumping water to high-rise buildings, it’s distributed to various apartments.
We shall consider the following factors to help us understand how water distribution from tanks works in big buildings.
- Water demand value (liters per day) depends on the building type, population of occupants, and consumption pattern.
- Evaluate the probable flow demand (liters per minute), and terminal fittings that are suitable for the installation.
- What is the hot water demand and type of heating system?
- Consider various fire water components (sprinklers, hydrants, and fire hose reels) that will be installed.
- What size of the water tank is suitable and what type of mounting style is required?
- Will the structural engineer need to re-design the roof to accommodate the weight of water tanks?
Every water supply system is designed to prevent leakages and achieve a suitable water flow rate and pressure. Also, an engineer considers the possibility of what can contaminate portable water, and how indoor fire-fighting facilities can be installed.
High-rise buildings are divided into water pressure control zones. Don’t make the error of cross-connecting water pipes between multiple pressure control zones; especially when there’s a central supply system that recalculates hot water.
What Affects Water Flow Rate of Overhead Tanks?
Generally, the building codes for high-rise structures (which includes but is not restricted to office buildings, retail leasing buildings like malls, and hotels) require water tanks, plumbing fixtures, and appliances to have an adequate flow rate.
Both water flow rates and pressure are necessary for supplying water. However, there might be wastage of water when the flow rate is too high and poor efficiency of fixtures when the flow rate is too low. The following factors often affect water flow rates:
- Water Temperature. When water temperature increases, this condition will raise water pressure and flow rates because the volume of water is proportional to its temperature.
- Pipe Diameters. Pipes with small internal diameters have low water pressure and flow rate. Don’t take the nominal diameter (DN) rating of pipes as their internal diameter value because pipes that are rated as DN 15 have between 10–18 mm of internal diameter.
Big Building Water Tank’s Water Pressure
The flow of water can be adjusted by using low-flow outlets. By installing a flow regulator, engineers can maintain constant water flow rates regardless of water pressure. You can also regulate flow rates to prevent splashing taps, and reduce noise in kitchen sink bowls.
It’s important to get the right design before installing water tanks on high-rise buildings. With the application of pressure-boosting systems, it’s easy for hydro-pneumatic pressure tanks to maintain their supply pressure. Also, the booster pump sets can receive water from public water mains.
You can either install water tanks on reinforced concrete slabs or compacted bases. This would suit all kinds of materials from plastic water tanks to sturdier ones. However, these bases must have smooth surfaces and be fortified by retaining walls.
Generally, PVC pipes are ideal for transporting cold water and they are non-corrosive. Steel pipes might be expensive, but they are suitable, and durable for both hot and cold water supply pipes.