Geotechnical issues associated with methanol storage tank design

When completing a geotechnical assessment of a tank site the importance of observation and factual data should be realised. Data from adjacent tank sites can give a more representative picture than data from laboratory testing of how the tank will perform, especially when considering tank settlement. One dimensional oedometer test data often gives conservative datae for settlement estimation, leading to over conservative foundation design. This is especially true for over consolidated soils.