The Only Truly Sustainable Option
In terms of sustainability, a Timbertank presents minimal adverse environmental effects throughout its lifecycle in comparison with other tanks.
Tanks constructed wholly from concrete, steel and plastic use finite resources and high-energy consumption in their extraction and manufacturing processes.
Energy consumption to produce one tonne of:
Material Energy units
Aluminium 70
Steel 17
Brick 3.1
Concrete block 3.0
Dry lumber 1.0
Net carbon emissions to produce one tonne of:
Material kg carbon/tonne
Concrete block 2,810
Aluminium 2,400
Steel 1,090
Brick 148
Dry lumber -460
Dry lumber has a negative figure for carbon emission because growing trees store carbon dioxide (Philip Wilson, Dept of Engineering, University of Canterbury, cit http://www.nelsonpine.co.nz/).
Total lifecycle energy to make a product (emergy)
Wood lumber 0.88
Concrete 1.54
Cement 1.97
Steel 4.13
Plastic (PVC) 5.85
Aluminium 12.53
(Material extraction and production emergy intensity of building materials: Brown and Buranakarn, 2003).
Committed to Sustainability
In terms of our operations, we are committed to minimising energy use wherever possible, in terms of transport and production processes.
The timber we use is a renewable resource and in fact growing trees absorb and store carbon dioxide. Our timber suppliers are centrally located to minimise energy consumption in transport from forest to mill, and mill to construction site.
At the mills, barrel staves are machined and cut to length before CCA treatment, ensuring the most effective protective treatment and no treated off-cuts as waste.
Our cables are cut to length at the factory and any steel waste is recycled.
Our pre-liner fabric is cut to length so there is zero waste. Any off-cuts from our Tri-PE containment liners are returned to the manufacturer where they are recycled.
The Benefits of Water Storage
On-site water storage tanks not only provide a vital resource but they also reduce the demand for costly water supply infrastructure.
An awareness of water conservation and reducing demands on existing infrastructure has led many industrial customers to harvest rainwater from their extensive roof areas, providing a supply of non-potable water for various uses, including on-site fire protection storage.