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Environmental and geometric optimisation of cylindrical drinking water storage tanks

  • BUILDING COMPONENTS AND BUILDINGS
  • Published:
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Urban water cycle construction processes are an important element to consider when assessing the sustainability of urban areas. The present study focuses on a structural and environmental analysis of cylindrical water tanks. The goal is to optimise cylindrical water tanks from both an environmental (environmental impacts due of life cycle assessment (LCA)) and a geometric perspective (building material quantities for construction purposes depending on the tank characteristics).

Methods

A sample of 147 cases was defined based on different positions (buried, superficial and partially buried), dimensions (combinations of heights and radii) and storage capacities (between 100 and 10,000 m3). A structural analysis was conducted for a defined set of cases to determine the quantities of steel and concrete required for its construction. The environmental impacts of the entire life cycle were assessed through a life cycle assessment (LCA). Additionally, environmental standards (the less impactful option for each dimension assessed: geometry, storage capacity and position) defined in the study were applied to realistic cases to evaluate potential environmental savings.

Results and discussion

The LCA shows that materials are the main contributor to environmental impacts (more than transport, installation and end of life cycle stages). For this reason, the results of the structural and environmental assessments coincide. Taller water tanks have shown to be less impactful (60 to 70 % less impact for a 10.000-m3 tank). Regarding the position, superficial water tanks have shown to have between 15 and 35 % less impact than buried ones. The environmentally preferred water storage capacity is between 1000 and 2500 m3, being between 20 and 40 % less impact. For instance, an 8000-m3 tank would emit 1040 t of CO2 eq. Applying the environmental standards 170.5 t of CO2 eq could be saved (16 % of the total amount).

Conclusions

The results of this study show that among the cases analysed, superficially positioned cylindrical water tanks of 8.5 m in height and of between 1000 and 2500 m3 in storage capacity present fewer impacts. The use of these standards in municipal water tanks construction projects may significantly reduce environmental impacts (10 to 40 %) in all impact categories.

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Abbreviations

ADP:

Abiotic depletion potential

AP:

Acidification potential

fctm:

Average tensile strength of the concrete

B:

Buried

CEDEX:

Centro de Estudios y Experimentación de Obras Públicas

fck:

Compressive strength

CED:

Cumulative energy demand

C:

Cylindrical

DWTDN:

Drinking water transport and distribution network

Es:

Elastic modulus

EP:

Eutrophication potential

D:

Flexural rigidity

GWP:

Global warming potential

a:

Height

ISO:

International Standard Association

LCA:

Life cycle assessment

w max :

Maximum crack width

AS geom min :

Minimum geometric reinforcement amount

AS mec min :

Minimum mechanical reinforcement amount

E:

Modulus of elasticity

ODP:

Ozone layer depletion

PB:

Partially buried

POCPPOCP:

Photochemical oxidation potential

R:

Radius

SLS:

Serviceability limit state

Hs:

Soil height

r nom :

Steel covering

S:

Superficial

ULS:

Ultimate limit state

UNESCO:

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

UWC:

Urban water cycle

EPA:

US Environmental Protection Agency’s

Hw:

Water height

fyk:

Yield strength

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the Government of Catalonia for awarding a research scholarship (FI-DGR 2014) to David Sanjuan Delmás and for its economic support of the research team (2014 SGR 1412).

The authors are also grateful for support provided by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science through the BIA project (2010-20789-C04-01).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sostenipra Research Group (SGR 01412), Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology (ICTA), Z Building, Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain

    David Sanjuan-Delmás, Xavier Gabarrell & Joan Rieradevall

  2. Department of Construction Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, UPC, Jordi Girona 1-3, 08034, Barcelona, Spain

    Elena Hernando-Canovas, Pablo Pujadas & Albert de la Fuente

  3. Department of Chemical Engineering, (Catalan Biotechnology Reference Network -XRB-), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain

    Xavier Gabarrell

  4. Department of Chemical Engineering, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain

    Joan Rieradevall

  5. Department of Geotechnical Engineering and Geosciences, School of Civil Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-Barcelona Tech (UPC), Barcelona, Spain

    Alejandro Josa

  6. Institute of Sustainability, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-Barcelona Tech (UPC), Barcelona, Spain

    Alejandro Josa

Authors
  1. David Sanjuan-Delmás
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  2. Elena Hernando-Canovas
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  3. Pablo Pujadas
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  4. Albert de la Fuente
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  5. Xavier Gabarrell
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  6. Joan Rieradevall
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  7. Alejandro Josa
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to David Sanjuan-Delmás.

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Responsible editor: Adriana Del Borghi

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Sanjuan-Delmás, D., Hernando-Canovas, E., Pujadas, P. et al. Environmental and geometric optimisation of cylindrical drinking water storage tanks. Int J Life Cycle Assess 20, 1612–1624 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-015-0963-y

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