Glass-fused-to-steel tanks
Bolted tanks made of steel with a fused glass enamel coating — for water, wastewater, fertilizers and dry bulk products
A glass-fused-to-steel tank is a bolted vessel assembled from steel panels with a glass enamel layer fused onto them at the factory. The glass and the steel are fused into a single material, so the stored medium never touches bare metal, and the coating does not peel or need to be renewed over the service life of the tank.
We manufacture GFS tanks from 9 to 2,000 m³ for a specific duty: water, wastewater, liquid fertilizers, manure and dry bulk products.
- Capacity:
- from 9 to 2,000 m³
- Coating:
- glass enamel fused to steel
- Shape:
- cylindrical, bolted assembly
- Manufacturing:
- 3–4 weeks
- Installation:
- from 2 days, no heavy lifting equipment
- Service life:
- 30+ years
- Warranty:
- 5 years, extendable to 10
Price is calculated individually.
The price of a GFS tank depends on the capacity, the stored medium, the set of nozzles and fittings, and the site location. Tell us the volume and the medium — we will prepare a quote within 1 business day.
Call us — we will answer your questions, clarify the details and prepare a quote within 1 business day:
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What glass enamel coating is
A glass enamel coating is a layer of glass fused onto a steel sheet at high temperature. The glass and the metal become one material rather than being glued together: the coating cannot be peeled off, scratched during filling or washed away by an aggressive medium. Internationally this technology is known as GFS — glass-fused-to-steel.
The key difference from paint and from polymer compounds applied on site is that enamel is applied under factory conditions only: the coated sheet is fired in a furnace, and the finished panels are then bolted together directly at the site. The quality of the coating therefore does not depend on the weather or on how carefully the crew works.
Firing is carried out at roughly 800–900 °C, and the enamel layer is a few tenths of a millimetre thick on both sides of the sheet.
Glass-fused-to-steel or galvanised steel with a membrane
We build bolted tanks in two versions, and this is not a case of "premium and budget" — they are two answers to two different duties. In short: enamel is chosen where the medium is chemically aggressive or where a smooth washable surface matters, a membrane is chosen where the medium is neutral and price and lead time matter more.
| Glass-fused-to-steel | Galvanised steel + PVC membrane | |
|---|---|---|
| What contacts the medium | Glass enamel fused to the steel | Reinforced polymer membrane |
| Resistance to aggressive media | High: acidic and alkaline effluent, liquid fertilizers, manure slurry | Sufficient for water and most domestic wastewater |
| Dry bulk products | Yes — grain, animal feed, mineral fertilizers | No: the membrane is designed for liquids |
| Mechanical impact | Hard surface, withstands scraping and pressure washing | Requires care during maintenance |
| Repairability | A damaged panel is replaced individually | The membrane is repaired or replaced as a whole |
| Cost | Higher | Lower |
Where glass-fused-to-steel tanks are used
| Potable and process water | Drinking water reserves, utility and process water, storage at water intake facilities. The smooth glass surface does not let biofilm take hold and is easy to wash down |
|---|---|
| Wastewater and sludge | Receiving and equalisation tanks at treatment plants, industrial effluent holding tanks — media with varying acidity, where galvanising performs worse |
| Liquid mineral fertilizers | Storage of UAN and other liquid fertilizers: the medium is chemically active and enamel stands up to it |
| Manure and slurry | Manure collection tanks and lagoons at livestock complexes — the classic worldwide application of glass-fused-to-steel tanks |
| Dry bulk products | Grain, animal feed, granulated fertilizers. In this configuration the tank works as a silo |
| Firefighting water reserve | Fire water storage tanks where the design calls for a version with a hard internal coating |
Capacities and dimensions
A cylindrical GFS tank is assembled from standard panels, so the capacity is made up of a combination of diameter and height. Below are the sizes closest to round figures taken from our factory sizing chart.
| Nominal | Diameter × height | Actual capacity |
|---|---|---|
| 9 m³ | Ø 3.10 × 1.25 m | 9.4 m³ |
| 20 m³ | Ø 3.10 × 2.46 m | 18.6 m³ |
| 50 m³ | Ø 3.87 × 4.26 m | 50.1 m³ |
| 100 m³ | Ø 5.42 × 4.26 m | 98.3 m³ |
| 200 m³ | Ø 7.74 × 4.26 m | 200.4 m³ |
| 500 m³ | Ø 9.29 × 7.32 m | 496.2 m³ |
| 1,000 m³ | Ø 13.16 × 7.32 m | 995.7 m³ |
Intermediate capacities are made up of any other panel combination — the diameter step is 0.77 m and the height step is from 0.58 m. The full sizing chart is available in the Design engineers section.
Tank design
The shell is bolted together from enamelled panels and the joints are sealed with a sealant. No heavy lifting equipment is required and no hot work is carried out on site, so the tank can be erected at an operating plant and in confined spaces.
The scope of supply is selected for the duty and normally includes fill and draw-off nozzles, an overflow, a drain, a breather, an inspection hatch and a manhole, and a ladder with an inspection platform. For cold regions — insulation and electric heaters with a thermostat; for dry bulk duty — loading and discharge arrangements instead of the water nozzles.
Fasteners and tensioning elements are supplied in a version protected against the same medium as the shell.
Completed project
Kolpino, Saint Petersburg — four glass-fused-to-steel tanks: 2 × 50 m³ and 2 × 100 m³. The full project is in the Our projects section.
How to order
- You tell us the capacity, what you are going to store and the site location — or you fill in a technical questionnaire.
- We select the version (enamel or membrane), the size and the scope of supply, and prepare a quotation within 1 business day.
- We agree the final drawing and place the order at our plant in Tula — manufacturing takes 3–4 weeks.
- We ship on pallets in containers to any region, erect the tank in 2 days or more, carry out hydraulic testing and hand it over with the product passport.
The warranty is 5 years and, subject to the operating conditions, is extended to 10 — see the Service section.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a glass-fused-to-steel tank different from a plain galvanised one?
- In a galvanised tank the medium contacts either the zinc itself or an internal polymer membrane. In a GFS tank it contacts a layer of glass fused to the steel at high temperature. Enamel is harder, is not damaged by cleaning and handles chemically aggressive media: effluent, liquid fertilizers and manure slurry.
- What capacity of glass-fused-to-steel tank can you manufacture?
- From 9 to approximately 2,000 m³. The capacity is made up of a combination of diameter (0.77 m step) and height (0.58 m step and up), so the closest standard size is selected for the duty: 9, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000 m³ and any value in between.
- Can potable water be stored in a glass-fused-to-steel tank?
- Yes. The glass enamel coating is chemically inert and imparts no taste to the water, and the smooth surface prevents biofilm from taking hold. Please state the intended duty when ordering and we will select the version for potable water supply.
- Is a glass-fused-to-steel tank suitable for dry bulk products?
- Yes, in the silo configuration: grain, animal feed and granulated mineral fertilizers. Unlike a polymer membrane, the hard glass surface is not abraded by the bulk material.
- How much does a glass-fused-to-steel tank cost?
- The price is calculated individually: it depends on the capacity, the stored medium, the scope of supply, whether insulation is required and the site location. The enamel version costs more than galvanised steel with a membrane. Tell us the volume and the medium and we will prepare a quote within 1 business day.
- How long does the glass enamel coating last?
- The service life of the tank is 30 years and more. The coating needs no renewal over that period: enamel does not peel or fade, unlike paint systems that have to be restored periodically.
- What are the manufacturing and installation lead times?
- Manufacturing at our plant in Tula takes 3–4 weeks. Installation on site takes from 2 days for smaller capacities, with no heavy lifting equipment and no hot work, so it can be carried out at an operating plant.