Plumbing Africa February 2018 | Page 72

70 TECHNICAL << Continued from page 69 MORE ABOUT THE STANDARD Why it is important for specifiers/consultants/ authorities to use the standard members who are compliant, conforms to world best practise and that consumers and members of the Reputable tank manufacturers who focus on what broader construction, plumbing, landscaping, and built industry are better informed when choosing drives value in the industry will want to comply to purchase a rotomolded polyethylene tank. For and will go through the independent auditing example, the strength and durability of a polyethylene process as prescribed by ARMSA to qualify for tank are directly proportional to the amount and the SANS 1731:2017 standard. And similarly, quality of polymer used for a specific size tank. if specifiers, consultants, and the like wish to The standard was specifically developed to withstand the harsh weather conditions experienced in the southern African market. provide a high-quality service to their clients and protect their own reputation for delivering a quality product, they should use compliant tank manufacturers only. Only a SANS 1731:2017 certification guarantees tanks built to the highest international specifications. Key points or aspects of the standard SANS 1731:2017 was specifically developed to withstand the harsh weather conditions experienced in the southern African market and is the culmination of work and references to other tank standards in the world, with specific reference to Australia and India. The rationale for the tank standard is to ensure that the quality of tanks produced by ARMSA February 2018 Volume 23 I Number 12 The standard gives specific criteria in terms of the source of raw material, ultraviolet protection, overall weight, wall thickness, light penetration, stress crack resistance, and impact strength for a range of different sizes. Other elements of the compliance audit for certification include checking for actual storage volumes versus stated volumes, the overall appearance of the finished tanks, the requisite number and type of fittings, and the date of manufacture. In addition, it seeks to ensure that the production methods used to manufacture the tanks comply with best practise and that traceability is built into the manufacturers’ control systems. PA www.plumbingafrica.co.za