What are the requirements for a bund?
Bunds are typically constructed with a concrete base and the walls can either be constructed using concrete brick or block. A bunded area is to provide containment of any spillage from a storage vessel sited within the bund area to prevent environmental spillage
A bund is a secondary containment system that prevents spills from oil/ liquid chemicals tanks and other hazardous substances. The bund forms containment and protects the local environment from spillages..
The bunds are constructed to a volume metric large enough to contain all of the liquid which also includes a factor of safety which means that the bund can contain more liquid than the maximum potential spillage.
Whilst there is no substitute for extensive inspections of bunded areas there are some simple ways to check that serious problems are not already evident within your bund wall.
Cracks
Any visual cracks in a bund floor and walls are a potential area for concern regarding the containment performance of the bund. In the event of failure of the containment vessel if there are any cracks present within the bund structure this has the potential to seep out of the crack creating an environmental hazard.
Regardless of size of the cracks, it is important to treat all defects within the bund to ensure full environmental compliance.
Weeds and Vegetation
Any plant growth within the bund should be removed and the defect repaired as It is highly probable that the root system has taken hold through cracks within the floor slab and wall which could be affecting the integrity of any containment within the bund leading to potential leakage.
Sealant joints/ movement joints
Deterioration of sealant joints should also be a major area of concern as sealant joints tend to perish over time creating an egress point for any chemicals in the event that a vessel ruptures and the chemical spills into the containment bund
Pipe penetrations
Some bunds have pipework that runs through the walls and even sometimes penetrates the floor depending on the configuration of the pipes for the processing of the materials that are manufactured on-site.
Where pipe penetrates the bund it is important to ensure that the area surrounding both the entrance and exit points of the pipework has been sealed to provide a liquid-proof solution.
Total Specialist Maintenance offer bund lining solutions for all types of construction and chemical containment, such as chemical resistant lining systems which also include installation of chemical resistant and fire-resistant sealants. We can also carry out small remedial repair solutions to bunds that already have some level of protection which involve repairs to cracks, spalled concrete repairs, repairs to existing coatings, sealing of water ingress and replacement of sealant joints.
