Developing infrastructure within a conservation environment requires careful consideration of both the facility and the natural setting in which it operates. At the McFadden Nature Center in Donalsonville, Georgia, reliable fire protection was an important part of the site’s development, helping safeguard its facilities and the people who use them while supporting its broader conservation and educational mission.
Located in Southwest Georgia, the McFadden Nature Center forms part of an approximately 1,260-acre conservation property incorporating wetlands, woodlands and wildlife habitat. The Nature Center is being developed as a destination for environmental education, research and community engagement, creating opportunities for visitors to connect with and learn about the natural environment.
To support the site’s fire sprinkler system, SBS Tanks supplied and installed a 45,170-gallon ST08R07 fire protection water tank. The tank was designed to meet the requirements of NFPA 22, while its configuration was selected to accommodate the site’s limited available footprint.
The project brought together site-specific engineering, seismic considerations, independent professional engineering review and an efficient modular installation methodology to provide a dedicated fire protection water storage solution suited to the facility.
The McFadden Nature Center represents a long-term investment in conservation and environmental education in Southwest Georgia. Its extensive natural setting provides habitat for wildlife while creating opportunities for education and research.
Facilities such as these require dependable infrastructure to support their day-to-day operations. Fire protection is particularly important where buildings are located within or adjacent to areas of natural vegetation, and where facilities serve visitors, educators, researchers and the wider community.
A dedicated water storage tank forms an important component of a fire sprinkler system, providing the stored water required to support fire suppression in the event of an emergency. For McFadden Nature Center, the challenge was to incorporate this infrastructure without compromising the practical constraints of the development site.
The tank therefore needed to provide the required volume while making efficient use of the available space.
The limited site footprint was one of the principal considerations during the design phase.
Following a review of the project requirements and site conditions, SBS Tanks engineers selected the ST08R07 configuration, providing the required 45,170 gallons of fire protection water storage. The SBS Tanks Standard (ST) Standard Water Tank Range – SBS USA provides multiple diameter, height and capacity configurations, allowing engineers to select a tank around the requirements of an individual project. For McFadden Nature Center, the ST08R07 measures approximately 17 feet 11 inches in diameter with a 23-foot 12-inch wall height, providing a relatively narrow footprint while achieving the required storage volume.
This vertically optimized configuration was particularly suited to a site where available space was limited. Rather than increasing the tank’s diameter to achieve the required capacity, the ST08R07 uses additional wall height to provide the necessary storage within a more compact ground footprint. This flexibility is one of the key benefits of the ST range, which can be configured across different combinations of diameter, height and capacity to accommodate varying site conditions.
For McFadden Nature Center, the result was a fire protection water storage solution that addressed the required capacity while making efficient use of the available area.
Water storage tanks must be designed with consideration for the environmental and structural conditions applicable to their location. Seismic loading is one such consideration, with earthquake hazards varying across the United States and appropriate design requirements determined according to the specific site and applicable engineering criteria.
For the McFadden Nature Center project, SBS Tanks engineers reviewed the seismic data applicable to Donalsonville as part of the tank design process.
This assessment formed part of the broader engineering review undertaken to ensure that the selected tank configuration was appropriate for its intended application. The relationship between the tank structure, stored water, foundation and site conditions is an important consideration when designing a large-volume storage system.
The tank’s general arrangement drawings were subsequently reviewed and stamped by an independent Georgia-licensed professional engineer, providing project-specific professional oversight of the design.
This additional review helped ensure that the tank design and associated foundation requirements were appropriate for the local conditions and project requirements.
For a tank supplying a fire sprinkler system, compliance with the applicable fire protection requirements is fundamental.
The McFadden Nature Center tank was designed as a NFPA 22-compliant fire protection water storage solution. NFPA 22 establishes requirements for water tanks used in private fire protection systems, including considerations relating to tank construction, capacity and associated components.
SBS Tanks’ approach begins with understanding the required fire protection storage volume, site conditions and applicable design requirements before determining the appropriate tank configuration.
For this project, these considerations resulted in the selection of the ST08R07, combining the required capacity with a configuration suited to the restricted site footprint.
The foundation for the tank was another important element of the installation. SBS Tanks provided detailed engineering drawings specifying the requirements for the concrete ring beam foundation, which was constructed by the project contractor prior to the tank installation. The ring beam was completed and ready when the SBS Tanks installation team arrived on site.
Ring beam foundations can offer practical advantages over full concrete pad foundations for large circular storage tanks. By concentrating structural support around the tank perimeter rather than requiring a solid slab beneath the entire tank, the design can reduce concrete quantities and associated civil works.
The approach also provides a defined interface between the foundation and tank structure, while allowing the tank installation to proceed once the required ring beam has been completed.
Providing the foundation requirements in advance allowed the civil works and tank installation activities to be coordinated efficiently.
The SBS Tanks system is based on modular construction, with tank components manufactured before being transported to site for assembly.
This methodology can provide significant practical advantages where site access, available space and construction schedules need to be carefully managed. Tank components can be delivered in a relatively compact form and assembled progressively on the prepared foundation.
SBS Tanks’ installation methodology also uses a proprietary jacking system that allows the tank to be assembled progressively, reducing the requirement for extensive temporary works during construction.
At McFadden Nature Center, the prepared ring beam provided the installation team with a completed foundation on which to assemble the ST08R07.
The installation was completed safely and within the expected timeframe. The contractor and end user were satisfied with the professionalism and efficiency demonstrated throughout the installation process.
Quality assurance extends throughout the SBS Tanks supply and installation process, from manufacturing through transportation and on-site assembly.
SBS Tanks components are manufactured within an ISO 9001-certified facility, supporting controlled and consistent production processes. The modular tank system incorporates coated steel panels and an internal liner designed to separate the stored water from the tank shell.
Once components reach site, trained installation teams follow established SBS Tanks procedures for assembly and installation. The process provides a controlled approach to constructing the tank while maintaining consistency between projects.
For a fire protection application, this level of process control is particularly important because the completed tank forms part of the facility’s wider fire protection infrastructure.
The completed tank provides McFadden Nature Center with dedicated fire protection water storage as it continues to develop its facilities and conservation programs. For an organization focused on protecting and educating about the natural environment, safeguarding the buildings and infrastructure that enable that work is an important consideration.
The 45,170-gallon ST08R07 provides the required storage capacity for the site’s fire sprinkler system while its configuration was developed around the available footprint and local engineering considerations.
The project also demonstrates how modular water storage can be incorporated into specialist developments where conventional approaches may be less suited to the available space or construction requirements.
With the tank safely installed and the contractor and end user satisfied with the outcome, the project provides McFadden Nature Center with an important piece of supporting infrastructure for its continued development.
The McFadden Nature Center project demonstrates the importance of taking a site-specific approach to fire protection water storage.
With limited space available for the tank, SBS Tanks engineers selected an ST08R07 configuration providing 45,170 gallons of storage within a footprint of approximately 17 feet 11 inches in diameter and 23 feet 12 inches in wall height. The design addressed NFPA 22 requirements, while local seismic considerations were incorporated into the engineering review and the general arrangement drawings were independently reviewed and stamped by a Georgia-licensed professional engineer.
The contractor-prepared ring beam foundation and SBS Tanks’ modular installation methodology supported an efficient construction process, with the tank successfully installed within the expected timeframe.
For McFadden Nature Center, the completed installation provides the dedicated water storage required for its fire sprinkler system while fitting efficiently into a development that is helping create new opportunities for conservation, environmental education and community engagement in Southwest Georgia.
SBS Tanks® is a leading manufacturer and supplier of modular steel panel water storage tanks fitted with an internal liquid storage liner. Through its operations in the United States and established dealer network, SBS Tanks provides engineered water storage solutions for a wide range of applications, including fire protection, commercial, industrial, agricultural and rainwater harvesting.
SBS Tanks’ modular tank systems are designed to provide durable, reliable water storage while offering flexibility during transportation and installation. The company’s manufacturing processes are supported by ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018 accreditation.
From initial engineering and tank selection through to manufacturing, delivery and installation, SBS Tanks works closely with clients, contractors and engineers to develop storage solutions suited to the specific requirements of each project.
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