How to brace concrete sleepers for water tank stand?

DCook

I have built a tank stand for a 5000 ltr water tank next to a shed.  The tank has a diameter of 1.9m.  I have constructed a tank stand approx 750mm high using C bracket posts, 600mm deep in concrete.  I then used 3x concrete sleepers 2.4m x 200 x 100mm for the four walls.

I want to stop the four posts from spreading with the weight of the tank, but I am concerned that drilling holes to secure the structure with brackets may weaken the sleepers.

Should I use a builders strap around the structure, chemical bonding for some brackets, or something else?

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @DCook. It's brilliant to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about water tank stands.

That’s a very big load you’re working with — once full, a 5000L tank will weigh around 5 tonnes. Because of that, it’s not something we can give specific structural advice on. Typically, tanks of that size are installed on a compacted gravel or concrete base directly on the ground, as that avoids any risk of posts spreading or sleepers failing under the pressure.

Given the weight involved, the safest option would be to get guidance from an engineer or the tank manufacturer’s installation specifications to confirm whether the stand you’ve built is suitable and, if not, what reinforcement method would be appropriate. It’s definitely one of those projects where professional advice is worth it for peace of mind and safety.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell