A mate of mine recently put in a **Bailey Slim Jim 3000 litre tank **behind his workshop. Now, the Slim Jim is a great option when you’re tight on space; it’s about 1.8 metres high with a narrow footprint, but because of that height to base ratio, you’ve got to think about what happens when the ground starts shaking. In an earthquake, a tall, slim tank can behave a bit like a wobbling book on a shelf. It doesn’t take much to tip it over.
And this isn’t just good practice; the New Zealand Building Code, Clause B1, is very clear: all water storage tanks must be restrained against seismic movement. No exceptions.
For this install, he took a sensible, straightforward approach. While preparing the concrete pad, he also set a couple of 125 x 125 timber posts 900mm into the ground. Once the concrete cured, the tank was positioned on the pad and pushed up against the posts.
Bailey has made this easy; the Slim Jim comes with a cast in aperture designed for restraint. All he had to do was run a 16mm threaded rod through that opening and secure it with a large washer and nut at each end. The rod ties the tank back to the posts, locking everything in place.
Nothing fancy. No over engineering. Just a simple, robust solution that meets the Code and keeps the tank upright when the earth decides to move.
Want to know more? See the video here or visit tanks.co.nz
