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Landscape Tanks™
RETAINING WALL SYSTEM
Patent Granted # 2010286347
Simple, Flexible, Beautiful and Multifunctional, Water Retention
Features
Our tank system provides both earth retention and water storage plus other landscaping functions such as sight, sound, wind and thermal barriers, a planter box and fence, all in a single structure.
MODULAR DESIGN
Landscape Tanks™ are modular, allowing you to connect the tanks in an almost infinite number of sequences and arrangements. This capability makes the tanks adaptable to most sites and gives the customer control over desired water storage volumes, engineer, and architectural parameters. Landscape Tanks™ are like Lego® blocks allowing you to build your own desired outcome.
Six Simple Steps
to Tank Success
1
Design
Determine what you are trying to achieve, the area to be retained, the barrier you need to create, the size of the garden you want and the volume of water storage you require.
2
Measure
Measure out your site / project area.
3
Configuration
Based on your measurements and our tank’s footprint (2.8 x 1.1 metres), determine the arrangement of tanks that works best.
4
Heights
Choose the right tank / planter height to suit your project.
5
Finish
Determine the finish you want. Leave them in their natural concrete state (as delivered from the factory) or customise / personalise them. At your own expense, you can tint, paint, render, bag, polish, stencil, tile, sand blast, emboss, slat, clad etc.
6
Contact us
Get in touch with us to discuss your landscape plan, water retention requirements and how our innovative solutions can work for you.
Pricing & Quotes
What's included?
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The standard planter (top).
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Our standard engineering.
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All internal pipe requirements for standard format set ups. This allows you to install the tanks including your planters quickly without needing to visit a plumbing shop.
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Four diagonally positioned “pin head lifts” (2.5t for large tanks, 1.3t for small and medium tanks and standard, deep planters and flat top) to allow easy lifting.
Specifications
for Architects, Builders & Installers
General Tank Information
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All tanks can be placed above or below ground and as a retaining wall or directly under driveways. For copies of the relevant engineering schedules, please contact us.
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Adherence to the tolerances provided in our standard engineering, will provide installation confidence without necessitating the commissioning of further engineering.
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The tanks can be arranged and connected to your design provided the top of the tanks are on one plane. The same applies to the use of different size tanks.
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Stepping down a gradient is also possible.
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Engineering drawings for special settings or uses are at the customer’s cost. For further specialised engineering we recommend Partnear. To go to their website www.partnear.com.au for their contact details.
Finish Options
The decoration options presented below are in order of popularity. Decoration options #1 and #2 are factory manufactured; all other decoration options are “by others”.
1. Natural Concrete
The tanks look good in their naked concrete manufactured state. We guarantee class 2 finish per AS3610-1995 “Formwork for Concrete”. The feel is soft, smooth, even buttery. There will be noticeable straight line creases of 1 or possibly 2 millimeters where the steel mould plates meet. Some air bubbles on the surface, mostly very small, along with some minor imperfections along the edges. In short, imperfections, only you will notice. Our caster has two generations of concreting experience and knowledge and we have invested significantly in research and in the precision of our moulds. We believe, that the finish we achieve, is industry leading. Concrete is a natural product made with naturally found components etc limestone, iron, magnesium etc. The colour (concrete grey) will vary slightly from batch to batch dependent on how much of each compound proportionally exists in your mix and how each component reacts with the other components (lime “calcium oxide” and other alkalines). Until the plants in your planter establish themselves expect your tank colour to be towards the white as opposed to the grey end of the concrete colour scale and as a consequence, potentially, a little stark.
2. Concrete Tinting
To view concrete tint colours follow the link above. Pricing of colours varies greatly. Many of the colours are derived from commodities e.g. green comes from cooper, making it relatively expensive. If you think tinting may work for you, choose a number of colours you would be happy with and ask us to price them. Sealing of tint holds the colour’s vibrancy and reduces or eliminates oxidisation of the surface but it also changes the appearance from matt to gloss and with that, shows dirt splatter etc more prominently. You can buy standard concrete sealant from any paint or hardware store. Follow the installation instructions on the label. Ex-factory all tinted tanks will be “matt” in appearance and will oxidise over time. The appearance is softer, less vibrant and warmer than sealed tint. With time, without sealing, the tint will oxidise and show its age. It’s a strength, not necessarily a weakness.
3. Bagging or Rendering
Bagging or rendering is a 70’s / 80’s standard response to any undressed brick or for that matter any undressed hard surface, that is, to cover it with cement. In our view, they (bagging and or rendering) are not the most cost efficient or necessary addition to our tanks. That said, being made from concrete and having a near flawless surface, the tanks are an excellent base for bagging and or rendering.
4. Painting
Comparable to concrete tinting for outcome and cost. Painting is a more medium-term decoration option and will require maintenance to remain in good condition. Compared to tinting, you only need to paint the exposed surfaces but you can get “high tide” marks as soil and plant growth, recedes or changes, respectively, with time.
Looking for more decoration options?
Mosaic
Our tanks are almost the perfect canvas for a mosaic. In the right environment and position, making a statement through a mosaic can be very visually effective. The downside is cost, its generally one of the more expensive decoration options.
Sandblast
A rough raw pebbled concrete look can be a desirable outcome for many applications. Once cast, you can arrange a sandblaster for superficial or deep processing.
Stencilling
Similar to mosaic and painting but less common than both. The tanks have good uptake of applied stencil(s). The surface binds strongly with stencilling resins.
Embossing
Only available where we insert the embossing into the tank surface, not proud of it. Raised embossing can be done by artisans found in your arts or building community. It’s not easy to cast embossing and the outcome can be variable. On top of this the surface adjoining the embossing has the risk of cracking. It’s possible, we do embossing of our tanks and get good results, but it’s also difficult and rarely 100% precise.
Polishing
Not the most practical of decoration options but one with very high visual impact. Usually combined with tinting and usually only for a tank that is going to be used as a statement piece.
Wood Cladding
Provided you don’t penetrate the inner surface with your fixings and or the fixings don’t transmit enormous loads, you can slat or clad the tanks any way you like. As a general rule; do anything you would or could do with any other concrete surface and do it using the same materials and techniques.
Affixing to the tanks
Affixing pool fences or posts to the tanks is quite acceptable provided you don’t perforate or disturb the inner tank surface. Our preference for higher load post connections is via plates which distribute the load(s) over a large surface area. Fixing by plate is particularly preferential where the post affixing is, for example, for a gate and subject to increased loads or shaking etc.
Looking for more information? Read our FAQ
Installation & Transportation
We don’t do installations. Installation is easy to do and its cheaper and quicker for someone who knows your site and local trades, than for an outsider like Landscape Tanks™, to perform it. Our advice is contact your builder, landscaper or plumber to perform the works. It will save you time and worry. Our tank system is easy and quick to install. You don’t need installation training, the principals and practices used are all generally known building processes.
In general, all that is required is site knowledge and access, heavy lifting equipment, a heavy lifting operator and the application of good and safe building operating practices. Installation and transportation go together. We assist with transportation arrangements by facilitating introductions with haulage companies familiar with our products and with whom we have experience and confidence in. There is also no reason why you cannot use your local carrier.
It’s more important for your installer to have a relationship with your carrier, than us. That way if changes need to be made or an issue (e.g. rain) arises there is direct communication between the installer and transport operator. Direct communication as opposed to communication through a third party (Landscape Tanks™) acting as a post office box.
Our list of regularly used carriers and information showing most recent quotes for tank movements from Albury factory to the CBD of your nearest city can be found here. The schedule includes contact details for each haulage operator.
Our Seals
Patent Granted #2010286347
The tanks come with sixteen (16) standard seal positions. This allows you to arrange your tanks in pretty much any sequence you desire. We fabricate the seals into the tank wall, at the positions you specify. A void either side of the seal allows access to the seal from either the inside or outside of the tank. Sliding PVC pipe into the seal makes a quick waterproof connection.
You may have site specific requirements or other more specific / difficult arrangements you want to explore. We can (within manufacturing limitations) locate seals in the tank walls or base to accommodate most wishes (additional costs apply).
Our standard seal locations and those places where we are unable to place seals (mostly near edges or junctions), can be found on pages 4, 5 and 6, small, medium and large tanks, respectively, in our Tank Specification document. Seal placement is something you can leave to us. Sketch or draw your desired configuration and forward it to us to quote and produce specifications.
Landscape Tanks™ has patents, one patent granted #2010286347 covers the fluid management system used in all tanks we produce.
The items shown in the formats specified on this website are proprietary and or covered by patents and cannot be manufactured without written licence from Landscape Tanks™. Open licence is provided by Landscape Tanks™ to all engineers, architects and draftsman to include the above drawings on plans, where and provided they clearly and unambiguously acknowledge the ownership and authorship of the owner, namely Landscape Tanks™ & patent granted.
Standard Retaining Wall Engineering Schedule
& Structural Engineering Services
Our standard engineering brochure shows the retained earth, angle of repose and site preparation requirements. Any questions, speak to us or your installer.
In the event that your design or site does not fit the standard engineering provided, we offer through our engineering partner, Partnear, the ability to gain structural engineering advice (costs apply). Partnear have all the necessary calculations, know our plant and moulds and consequently are able to quickly and cost efficiently find solutions for most sites and builds.
To contact Partnear, email Jeremy Smith jeremy.smith@partnear.com.au or go to their website www.partnear.com.au.