Ferro Cement Water Tank

How To Construct a Ferro Cement Tank
Be Advised
The following power point presentation assumes that individuals using it to construct ferro-cement tanks have a basic knowledge of geometry and calculating circumferences and volumes of spheres so as to select the proper volume of tank needed for the water system design being used. Further, the number of entrances and exits to the tank will again depend on the design of the system but at a minimum, a water system tank should have a clean out and overflow; entry of water from the water source; and sufficient exits to serve the distribution system design.
Site Preparation and Calculations
Materials
3/8 reinforcing rods
1 galvanised pipe
Wire
Mesh
Door
3 inch reinforced rods are welded
to the door frame to attach to the roof structure. 2 Central Spiders

1 galvanized pipe coupling is
welded to the centre of the spider and connecting rods, to support an 1 galvanised pipe that will support the roof. Cement Sand Gravel Water
Measurements for a 5m3 tank

1.75 m (inc spider- 0.5m) SPIDER
0.15m 1.5 m FRAME
0.3m
0.15m
2.50 m
BASE
Calculations for a 5m^3 Tank

Height (h) = 1.5m Diameter (d) = 2.50m Circumference (c) = Pie x d = 3.14 x 2.50 = 7.85m Spacing of galvanised rods on the frame * = 0.15m Number of rings on the frame = h / 0.15 = 1.5/0.15 = 10 rings Number of galvanised rods moulded to spider = c / 0.15m = 7.85/0.15 = 52
* This is the ideal spacing for all tank sizes in order to provide the frame with sufficient strength. The larger the tank, the more important this will be. The pictures of a 5m3 tank within this presentation, may not accurately depict the necessary spacing required.
Site Preparation
Cut enough room for the entire tank to sit on solid ground.
Tank Floor
Supports for the wall frame are attached to the base frame . Second layer of concrete
Base frame
Smooth and compact tank

area.
Construct a wooden mould

for the base of the tank
Ensure boards are held

firmly in place
Mark out the centre of the tank
Make space for the desired piping.

All tubing inside the tank should be located under the trapdoor A standard tank has a minimum of three tubes on the floor. The first is the inlet pipe from the water source, the second is an outlet to the distribution system and the third is used as a means to clean out the tank. In this case there is one inlet pipe coming from the back of the tank and four outlet pipes at the front of the tank, serving two distribution systems All of these tubes will have pvc couplings attached flush with the floor level, so that the tubes can be extracted easily. To facilitate the extraction of these tubes no glue should be used when inserting them into the couplings. The overflow tube can also serve as a means of draining the tank
Over Flow and Clear Out Tube

If the water reaches a certain level, it can overflow through the PVC pipe.
Trap door
Water
PVC Pipe
No glue is used on the coupling or PVC tube, so that the PVC tube can be extracted easily, in order to empty the tank.
Coupling
Elbow Overflow
Mark onto the boards, a depth of 30cm for the base. This is the recommended base depth for tanks up to the size of 10m^3.
Use fishing line and a level to ensure that once the cement is poured, the base is level.
Place rocks over the floor of the tank,

leaving a minimum gap of 10cm by the mould walls for the cement to fill.
Ensure that the rocks sit fairly level and do not protrude above the point marked by the fishing line, 15cm below the top of the boards. Be careful not to damage the piping. Stuff the piping with material to ensure that cement does not accidentally enter.
Tank Base
Mould Wall
15cm 15cm
Cement
Rocks
Galvanised Rods
Begin by taking four iron rods, with

the ends bent over. Tie them together to form a square over the rock bed.
From the outside in, attach four more rods on each side of the square, with the ends bent over the outside frame.
Attach the rods using small pieces of metal wire, ensuring that once tied, there are no sharp tails left. For rods that are parallel to each other, a simple wrap round and twist with a pair of plyers, will be sufficient
For rods that are perpendicular to each other use an iron workers knot illustrated in the pictures opposite.
Place 4 iron rods diagonally across the inside of the square so as to strengthen the grid
Place the spider in the centre of the grid and attach iron rods to its spokes. The number of rods used will depend on the size of the tank.
The ends of the rods are bent upwards so as to receive the frame of the tank once the cement has been poured over the base.
Before fixing the rods in place, ensure that they are spaced correctly. Ideally they should be attached at 0.15m intervals.
Finally fix rods on the sides of the square, to complete the grid.
All rods should be bent down into the space between the board and the rocks to form the outer walls of the base.
For the base, use a sand, gravel to cement ratio by volume of

2.5 parts gravel 2 parts sand 1 part cement
It is not necessary to smooth the tank floor to perfection, but use fishing wire to ensure that the floor is level.
Attach the 1 galvanised threaded pipe to the two spiders, using the 1 pipe couplings on the spiders.
Once the cement is dry, attach the roof spider to the centre pole
FRAME
Attach iron rods to the base and roof wheel
The rods will need to be bent at the desired height

Using a measuring tape or stick, check that the rods are the correct distance from the centre of the tank, before attaching them to the wheel spokes. In this case, the tank has a radius of 1.25m When attaching the rods, bend the wheel spokes down so that they are in line with the iron rod
Starting at the base of the tank, bend an iron rod around the tank to form a ring. In this case it was necessary to use two iron rods fastened together by wire. Once the ring is complete lift it towards the roof of the tank. Repeat until there are the desired number of rings.
Before fastening the rings to the frame, ensure that they are spaced correctly, by 0.15m The larger the spacing, the less firm the mesh will be when covering with cement.
Bend iron rods around the roof of the frame, again ensuring that they are spaced correctly by 0.15m Attach the specially designed trap door. It may be necessary to cut the iron rods to make a large enough hole.
MESH
Wrap the mesh around the tank
Use small 5cm strips of wire, thread through the mesh to attach it to the frame at each junction of the 3/8 reinforcing bar
There will need to be one person threading the wire through and another inside tying the wire. It is important to ensure the mesh is tight against the frame and that it is as free as possible of dents and bumps.
If two sections of mesh are required to wrap around the body of the frame, ensure they are tied together, by threading wire through both segments. Finish by attaching segments of mesh to the roof.
PLASTER
Use a cement and sand ratio by volume

3 parts washed sand 1 part cement
The tank and base will need a total of five coats of cement. Using a trowel and ensure that the cement is smoothed over. Begin on the outside. It will be difficult as cement will fall through the wire mesh, but once the first layer has been completed it will become easier.
Once the first outside layer has dried, it is possible to begin plastering the inside. The roof and tank walls will require a total of 5 layers, 2 inside and 3 outside.
It will be more difficult getting the cement to stick to the roof of the tank. Initially flicking cement onto the roof and then smoothing it over can prove effective.
Finishing Touches
The taps should be housed securely. In this case a simple cement box is created with cement lid that can be secured with a padlock.
Normally the exit line would have a valve to turn off the distribution line to the houses. If on the side of a hill, ensure that the tank is secure from potential land slippage. Here a wall of stones has been built behind the tank.
In temperate climates the tank can be either above or below ground. However in hot climates tanks are generally buried underground.

Ferro Cement Water Tank

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Ferro Cement Water Tank

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How To Construct a Ferro Cement Tank

Site Preparation and Calculations

to the door frame to attach to the roof structure. 2 Central Spiders

Measurements for a 5m3 tank

0.15m 1.5 m FRAME

Calculations for a 5m^3 Tank

Smooth and compact tank

Construct a wooden mould

Ensure boards are held

Mark out the centre of the tank

Make space for the desired piping.

Over Flow and Clear Out Tube

Place rocks over the floor of the tank,

Begin by taking four iron rods, with

For the base, use a sand, gravel to cement ratio by volume of

Attach iron rods to the base and roof wheel

The rods will need to be bent at the desired height

Wrap the mesh around the tank

Use a cement and sand ratio by volume

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