Monday, 5 May 2014

Some Information On Spill Containment Berms

By Tracie Knight


Spills from petrochemical products and the like, whether they occur at sea or on land has been a perennial problem for not only communities affected but with environmentalists as well. Many up to now are still developing new and novel ways to contain spills for easier clean up. One of those methods or ways now available are through the use of spill containment berms.

As far back as mad was able to farm, irrigate and construct, the concept of using the berm has been present. History of the early Americas show natives being able to construct some form of berm network to guide irrigation and to channel water and waste run off where needed.

Due to the many different kinds of spills and such nowadays, there are specialized berms for each and every type of spills. Spills can be categorized in terms of viscosity and toxicity, and thus there will be a suitable or adaptable containment design for each of these types of spills. The most common one would probably see are big non porous sheets of a material either in rectangular or square form with the necessary raised embankments on the four sides.

If you have seen a kiddie pool you will get a basic idea of what a common berm looks like in terms of controlling spills. Think of a kiddie pool with very shallow sides with some sort of flooring and you will get the idea. This kind of design with shallow sides are most commonly used in containing leaks and spillage for trucks during discharging operations. Since they are to be used on the road and under vehicles, they are very durable and impact resistant.

As for the walling of these units, these are usually made of a special foam that has no memory capabilities. This means that it goes back to its original form once pressure is released. This is much needed for it to go back to its original form as soon as after a vehicle runs over it.

The square and rectangular shaped ones are the most common, and mostly used for incidents that occur on flat areas and the like. However, spillage and such do not occur on flat surfaces alone, and can occur in areas that have uneven surfaces and also areas that are very rough. In this case there are designs wherein these kinds of terrains can be accommodated and handled. These designs are very flexible and customizable in terms of retaining wall connections and shapes.

Many of the more specialized berms in the market today are also made of better materials. These materials adapt to the surfaces they cover, no matter how uneven or sharp, and thus lessen the possible of cracks or piercing through. This thus makes them more liquid tight. In addition the materials now used are mostly bio degradable and ecology friendly thus making them safer to use and dispose of later.

To find a berm dealer near you, all you have to do is make a quick search through the internet. Usually you will type out spill control specialists or supplies. Lacking a computer, you can also use the age old method of flipping through the yellow pages.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment