No Water Leakage Even During Earthquakes... Posco Is the Real Deal for Water Tanks~

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] POSCO has developed a stainless steel water tank equipped with ‘seismic performance,’ not just an ordinary stainless steel tank.

POSCO Steel Solutions Research Institute recently held a technical workshop together with the Korea Iron & Steel Association to publicly showcase the excellent seismic performance and convenient construction method of the ‘Stainless Steel Wave-type Water Tank,’ which has been developed over a long period.

The structural features that differentiate the stainless steel wave-type water tank from conventional panel-type water tanks are twofold.

First, the walls are composed not of square-shaped panels but wave-shaped stainless steel panels (PossHN1, STS316HN3, STS329LD), all of which are high-strength steels with excellent corrosion resistance and yield strength. Since the height of one wave panel is up to 2.5 meters, it can be manufactured with minimal welding compared to the 1-meter-high panel-type water tanks.

The second feature is that external reinforcements are applied between the wave-shaped panels, while the interior is unreinforced. This means that there are no structural reinforcements inside the tank, making it easier to clean and maintain. Additionally, the risk of corrosion at welded reinforcement joints is reduced, allowing for more hygienic management of the water tank.

A real wave-type water tank, approximately 3 meters in width, length, and height, made from PossHN1 steel panels, was filled with water up to a 2-meter level. Artificial seismic waves were generated considering earthquake load magnitudes according to the domestic building seismic design standard (KDS 41 17 00). The test results showed that the wave-type water tank secured sufficient seismic performance without significant structural damage even under earthquakes 2.5 times stronger than the design seismic force (approximately seismic intensity 6.5). The PossHN1 used in the experiment is a high-strength stainless steel with corrosion resistance comparable to STS304 but with 1.7 times higher yield strength than STS304.

The stainless steel wave-type water tank developed by POSCO has already been internationally recognized for its technology. It was selected as an award-winning product at the International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF) Excellent Product Awards held last May. Even more remarkable than the award is POSCO’s decision to open the production-related materials of this wave-type water tank, developed through long-term research, to small and medium-sized enterprises and provide technical support!

Currently, about 20 wave-type water tanks are installed on the rooftop, central area, and basement of the Park One building in Yeouido, and a 10,000-ton installation has been confirmed at Seoul National University.

Son Jeong-geun, Executive Director of the Korea Iron & Steel Association, said, "We will support water tank construction companies that aim to expand the distribution of this product in domestic buildings to contribute to public safety and health promotion at the association level."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.