Wednesday, April 30, 2014

What Are Spill Containment Berms

By Tracie Knight


The importance of protecting the environment against pollution and contamination is a growing one. Many in the world want to lessen the degradation of the environment by having much more effective ways of containment of spills. One of the methods most commonly used nowadays are through the use of spill containment berms.

Berms are nothing new to the world. They have been used as far back in the past when man was able to do construction and farm. Most notable use of these berms have been recorded as being used by earl American Indians wherein they used it to contain run off from fields during irrigation and harvesting. Likewise, some medieval fortifications to date show existence of berms as some form of embankment as support for more complex constructions.

Spills differ in terms of behaviour and also in terms of the danger that they pose. Spill containment equipment such as berms are also specifically designed for the kind of spill they are meant to contain, which are usually categorized in terms of toxicity and viscosity. Although they can come in a range of sizes and shapes, the most common one will see are usually rectangular or square sheets hemmed in by four raised embankments.

If you have seen a kiddie pool you will get a basic idea of what a common berm looks like in terms of controlling spills. Think of a kiddie pool with very shallow sides with some sort of flooring and you will get the idea. This kind of design with shallow sides are most commonly used in containing leaks and spillage for trucks during discharging operations. Since they are to be used on the road and under vehicles, they are very durable and impact resistant.

As for the walling of these units, these are usually made of a special foam that has no memory capabilities. This means that it goes back to its original form once pressure is released. This is much needed for it to go back to its original form as soon as after a vehicle runs over it.

The square and rectangular shaped ones are the most common, and mostly used for incidents that occur on flat areas and the like. However, spillage and such do not occur on flat surfaces alone, and can occur in areas that have uneven surfaces and also areas that are very rough. In this case there are designs wherein these kinds of terrains can be accommodated and handled. These designs are very flexible and customizable in terms of retaining wall connections and shapes.

Many of the more specialized berms in the market today are also made of better materials. These materials adapt to the surfaces they cover, no matter how uneven or sharp, and thus lessen the possible of cracks or piercing through. This thus makes them more liquid tight. In addition the materials now used are mostly bio degradable and ecology friendly thus making them safer to use and dispose of later.

To find a berm dealer near you, all you have to do is make a quick search through the internet. Usually you will type out spill control specialists or supplies. Lacking a computer, you can also use the age old method of flipping through the yellow pages.




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