Removability of pressure tanks

[NPS-arch]

I've recently inherited project management (as Owner's Rep) of a campground project (scheduled to be completed in a couple months) from a retired colleague, and visiting it with the park staff, they noted that the pressure tanks in the well house are too big to be removed from either of the two single man doors in the structure (about 18'x20'). They asked me if this is a design error. The structure is a premanufactured building that was set over the top of the tanks after they were installed, by crane. It does seem kind of absurd that future tank replacement will required demounting the entire structure with another crane.

Is it bad design? Yes. But "error" probably entails some sort of Code violation. I'm familiar with the IRC's requirement that all "appliances" must be removable without removing structure, but in practice (I'm an architect) would normally rely on mechanical and plumbing engineers for questions like this on commercial projects. Since I'm back-checking them on this, I can't exactly just go to them and say, "Did you make a mistake here?"

I think I'm following that the IPC covers valves and such but that the pressure tanks themselves fall under the IMC, Section 1003 Pressure Vessels. I'm puzzled there, though. 1004.3 requires clearances around equipment and appliances such as will permit inspection, servicing, repair, replacement, and visibility of all gauges -- but 1004 is specific to boilers. If they're pressure vessels for unheated water, that section doesn't seem to apply -- just the requirement that the vessels meet the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. At that point, I'm substantially over my head.

Is there another requirement in the IMC or the BPVC that clearly states that repair or replacement of a pressure vessel should not require demolition of a structural component of a building?

 

[e hilton]

Cut a hole in the side if the building, remove, patch.

 

[steveray]

I do not believe that a well tank falls under theIMC

 

[TheCommish]

In my opinion in many cases it would be impractical to have openings large enough to allow all manor of equipment to be removed through normal openings.

All sorts of thins including pianos are brought to upper floors of buildings, by the riggers, those guys that can get anything anywhere with enough time in straps.

Commercial size air handlers come to mind, They're quite large and usually in obscure places in buildings , it certainly not going to put them on the normal elevators and get them in and out of the building it maybe requiredto breakthemdow intu components. OR boilers, which we have a lot here in New England they come in sections and are assembled on site , even for new construction.

 

[NPS-arch]

In my opinion in many cases it would be impractical to have openings large enough to allow all manor of equipment to be removed through normal openings.

All sorts of thins including pianos are brought to upper floors of buildings, by the riggers, those guys that can get anything anywhere with enough time in straps.

Commercial size air handlers come to mind, They're quite large and usually in obscure places in buildings , it certainly not going to put them on the normal elevators and get them in and out of the building it maybe requiredto breakthemdow intu components. OR boilers, which we have a lot here in New England they come in sections and are assembled on site , even for new construction.

I get that. There's no requirement that the equipment not be disassembled for removal. If you disassemble the pressure tank system, the tanks themselves in this case are each a single component, still much too fat to make it out the door. You'd have to cut them apart with a torch, and then couldn't bring in new tanks at all.