Distrigas Corporation LNG Storage Tanks

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

• As the demand for LNG storage tanks grew, so did expectations for their capacity. The Distrigas Corporation LNG tanks (150,000 m³, each) were designed with an exterior diameter of a 240’ ID x 120’ SWD and were over 145’ in total height, making this Preload-constructed system the largest LNG storage tanks in the world at the time of their completion.
• The tanks also matched their massive size with superior strength. According to a 1975 PCI Journal article, the tank design provided highly redundant system that “furnishes safely against lateral buckling several hundred times greater than comparable metallic structures of the same radius.” 
• In fact, the tanks had the capability to withstand the horizontal impact force of a Boeing 747 at a speed of 230 mph without failure. This is due in large part to the superior structural features that are customary with all Preload prestressed concrete LNG storage applications.