One of the main safety concerns at airports is the large quantity of flammable aircraft fuel which is stored on the premises. Fuel leaks can cover large areas of the facility in a short period of time, and present a very significant fire hazard if they encounter an ignition source. The primary agent used at airports to combat fires is aqueous film-forming foam, also known as AFFF. This agent extinguishes hydrocarbon fuel fires by forming a film on the fuel surface that prevents it from igniting.
Large quantities of AFFF are needed in order to protect an entire facility. To this end, Tanks Direct provided the installation of two 35,000 gallon underground storage tanks to be used for fire fighting fluids storage at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station. Tanks Direct also was responsible for the shoring and dewatering of the excavation. Large underground storage tanks are always vulnerable to flotation, and even more so in low lying areas such as the Naval Air Station, which is located right next to the Patuxent River. Read our blog on preventing tank flotation for more information on how we keep storage tanks underground.