February 9, 2026 [Concrete Canvas] – In tank storage terminals, infrastructure is often designed with the assumption that concrete is the ultimate solution. For decades, poured and sprayed concrete have been the default choice for bunds, floors, drainage channels and protective linings.
Yet operators and engineers working in real facilities know that concrete is not as permanent as it appears on drawings. Cracking, settlement, erosion and chemical degradation are recurring issues, particularly in coastal and marine environments where many terminals are located.
From a practical engineering perspective, the challenge is not simply to build structures that are strong, but to build systems that remain functional under continuous mechanical and environmental stress.
Most terminals are constructed on complex substrates, often with challenging soil conditions.
Download Concrete Canvas’ Use Cases:
ExxonMobil’s Petrochemicals Storage
Coastal sediments, reclaimed land and engineered fill are common foundations for tank farms, and these substrates are inherently prone to differential movement. Settlement beneath tanks, cyclic loading from heavy vehicles, thermal expansion, and soil volume changes caused by moisture variation or frost heave all contribute to gradual deformation of the ground, which often remains undetectable on the surface.
1) Concrete Canvas, a semi-rigid composite product
The behaviour of Concrete Canvas under these conditions differs fundamentally from that of conventional concrete. The material consists of a three-dimensional fibre matrix containing a dry cementitious formulation, bonded to a polymeric geomembrane backing layer.
Once hydrated, the cementitious core hardens to form a thin, durable concrete layer, while the fibre network provides internal reinforcement and the geomembrane ensures impermeability. Rather than behaving as a brittle slab, the system functions as a semi-rigid composite structure.
When differential ground movement occurs beneath a Concrete Canvas lined structure, the material deforms to accommodate substrate displacement through extension. This deformation leads to microcracking within the fibre-reinforced concrete matrix and tensile strain within the geomembrane backing layer.
Under such conditions, the three-dimensional fibre matrix prevents crack propagation and spalling of the concrete layer, maintaining mechanical protection of the geomembrane. As a result, even in the presence of microcracking, the composite system continues to function as an effective erosion control and containment layer.
The geomembrane backing maintains hydraulic impermeability until it is strained beyond its design limits, providing a level of resilience that is difficult to achieve with traditional rigid concrete systems.
For tank storage terminals, this behaviour has direct implications for secondary containment systems specifically:
- Bund and floor linings must remain impermeable despite settlement and thermal cycling, chemical spills, while being exposed to rainfall, firewater and hydrocarbon contamination.
- Pipe tracks and utility corridors frequently traverse areas of variable soil conditions, where erosion, localised deformation, and vegetation growth can interfere with operations. Concrete Canvas acts as an effective barrier to weed growth, even invasive species, reducing maintenance requirements.
- Drainage channels must withstand hydraulic forces while operating in aggressive chemical and saline environments.
In these applications, the semi-rigid nature of Concrete Canvas offers a real engineering advantage. Instead of resisting ground movement until failure occurs, the material accommodates deformation while maintaining functional performance.
Download Concrete Canvas’ Use Cases:
ExxonMobil’s Petrochemicals Storage
2) Long durability leads to reduced total cost of operation
Durability in aggressive environments is another decisive factor when considering material use to protect infrastructure. Marine terminals are exposed to chloride-rich atmospheres, sulphate-bearing soils and industrial pollutants, all of which accelerate the deterioration of conventional reinforced concrete.
Extensive laboratory testing and field installations of Concrete Canvas in extreme climates have demonstrated that the material can withstand severe thermal cycles and environmental exposure whilst maintaining mechanical and hydraulic performance.
There are real-World examples of project installations in the coldest regions of Siberia to the hottest deserts in the Middle East and everything in between adding credibility to the cyclic material testing. The British Board of Agreement have certified the durability, with an expected lifespan exceeding 120 years, reinforcing its suitability for long-term infrastructure protection.
For engineers and site managers working in tank storage terminals, the question is no longer whether concrete is strong enough, but whether it is flexible and adaptable enough. In an industry where infrastructure must perform reliably under dynamic ground conditions and aggressive environments, materials that combine strength with controlled flexibility are becoming not just innovative, but essential solutions.
