Elevated water tank

Abstract

An elevated tank broadly comprises an outer wall, a tank ceiling, a tank floor, an internal support structure, and a fluid infrastructure. The outer wall is formed of a number of panels connected together in layers. The tank floor is elevated above the ground and is enclosed within the outer wall. An upper portion of the outer wall, the ceiling, and the tank floor cooperatively form a tank chamber for holding a fluid or other substance. A lower portion of the outer wall forms a lower chamber underneath the tank floor. The elevated tank is constructed by connecting a layer of panels together and jacking or lifting them up, then bolting another layer of panels together underneath the previously connected layer of panels, and continuing building the elevated tank from the top down.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the following: 
     
         1 . An elevated tank comprising:
 an outer wall including at least a first horizontal layer, a second horizontal layer, and additional horizontal layers including a first lower horizontal layer, each layer comprising a plurality of outer panels connected together, the outer panels having inner sides, the second horizontal layer being positioned below the first horizontal layer, the first and second horizontal layers being elevated above the additional horizontal layers so as to form a wall assembly;   a tank ceiling connected to and extending over the first horizontal layer;   a tank floor including a plurality of floor panels connected together, the tank floor being connected to one of the horizontal layers of the wall assembly so as to be spaced a predetermined distance beneath the ceiling such that at least a portion of the wall assembly is higher than the tank floor, the first lower horizontal layer being lower than the tank floor such that the tank floor is spaced a predetermined distance above the ground, wherein the tank floor, wall assembly, and tank ceiling cooperatively form a tank chamber for holding a fluid or other substance; and   a plurality of vertical members forming vertical columns connected to the inner sides of at least some of the outer panels so as to provide an internal support structure for absorbing bending stresses in the outer wall.   
     
     
         2 . The elevated tank of  claim 1 , wherein the tank floor is enclosed within the outer wall. 
     
     
         3 . The elevated tank of  claim 1 , wherein the outer wall further includes additional lower horizontal layers, wherein the tank floor, the first lower horizontal layer, and the additional lower layers cooperatively form a lower chamber underneath the tank chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The elevated tank of  claim 3 , wherein the lower chamber has a greater height than a height of the tank chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The elevated tank of  claim 3 , further comprising a man-way door connected to at least some of the outer panels for forming an entry-way into the lower chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The elevated tank of  claim 3 , further comprising a door connected to at least some of the outer panels for forming a vehicle entry-way into the lower chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The elevated tank of  claim 1 , wherein the tank floor further includes a number of horizontal beams connected to at least some of the floor panels for absorbing bending stresses in the tank floor. 
     
     
         8 . The elevated tank of  claim 1 , wherein the outer panels are rolled tapered panels. 
     
     
         9 . The elevated tank of  claim 8 , wherein the outer panels are epoxy powder-coated. 
     
     
         10 . The elevated tank of  claim 1 , wherein the tank floor includes an aperture for connecting a fluid infrastructure to the tank chamber. 
     
     
         11 . The elevated tank of  claim 1 , wherein the tank floor further includes a bar grate, a sub floor, and a tank pad. 
     
     
         12 . An elevated tank comprising:
 an outer wall including at least a first horizontal layer, a second horizontal layer, and additional horizontal layers including a first lower horizontal layer, each layer comprising a plurality of outer panels connected together, the outer panels having inner sides, the second horizontal layer being positioned below the first horizontal layer, the first and second horizontal layers being elevated above the additional horizontal layers so as to form a wall assembly;   a tank ceiling connected to and extending over the first horizontal layer;   a tank floor including a plurality of floor panels connected together, the tank floor being connected to one of the horizontal layers of the wall assembly so as to be spaced a predetermined distance beneath the ceiling such that at least a portion of the wall assembly is higher than the tank floor, the first lower horizontal layer being lower than the tank floor such that the tank floor is spaced a predetermined distance above the ground, wherein the tank floor, wall assembly, and tank ceiling cooperatively form a tank chamber for holding a fluid or other substance;   a base, at least some of the additional horizontal layers and the base cooperatively forming a lower chamber;   a plurality of vertical members forming vertical columns connected to the inner sides of at least some of the outer panels so as to provide an internal support structure for absorbing bending stresses in the outer wall; and   a man-way door connected to outer panels of at least some of the additional horizontal layers for forming an entry-way into the lower chamber.   
     
     
         13 . An elevated tank comprising:
 an outer wall including at least a first horizontal layer, a second horizontal layer, and additional horizontal layers including a first lower horizontal layer, each layer comprising a plurality of outer panels connected together, the outer panels having inner sides, the second horizontal layer being positioned below the first horizontal layer, the first and second horizontal layers being elevated above the additional horizontal layers so as to form a wall assembly;   a tank ceiling connected to and extending over the first horizontal layer;   a tank floor including a plurality of floor panels connected together, the tank floor being connected to one of the horizontal layers of the wall assembly so as to be spaced a predetermined distance beneath the ceiling such that at least a portion of the wall assembly is higher than the tank floor, the first lower horizontal layer being lower than the tank floor such that the tank floor is spaced a predetermined distance above the ground, wherein the tank floor, wall assembly, and tank ceiling cooperatively form a tank chamber for holding a fluid or other substance;   a base, at least some of the additional horizontal layers and the base cooperatively forming a lower chamber;   a plurality of vertical members forming vertical columns connected to the inner sides of at least some of the outer panels so as to provide an internal support structure for absorbing bending stresses in the outer wall; and   a vehicle door connected to outer panels of at least some of the additional horizontal layers for forming a vehicle entry-way into the lower chamber.