| I have tested the structural soundness of my tank fabrication with a "destructive" impact evlauation This testing was done due to inquiries about structural integrity during a crash Since the conversion to Kevlar fabric, I am in the process of re-evaluating my ERT properties. I expect significant improvements in 'crash test' results. |
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| Copyright 2001-2004 |
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I have tested the structural
soundness of my tank fabrication with a 'destructive' impact evaluation. To evaluate the most extreme impact factors, I chose one of my 8+ gallon stretch tanks, total weight of the tank and 8 gal water was approx. 75 pounds. The tank, with 8 gal. water was dropped repeatedly (5 times) from approx. 66 inches onto a 3/4" high density particle board surface over rigid concrete (my driveway). After each drop I inspected the tank impact area and checked for leaking. Although the impact zones suffered moderate to substantal surface damage, a single impact did not produce any leaks. On the fourth and fifth drops I attemped to repeat an earlier impact zone, only one of the 're-hit' areas showed any sign of leaking, which was minimal. I calculated the speed that the tank obtained on impact; aprox.13 to 15 mph, (into a concrete wall). If not for the double hits, the tank would have been servicable, and with a moderate effort, restored to full function. The drop test will be repeated in the near future to evaluate higher impact speeds |