The Chem-Tainer 1200 Gallon HDPE Vertical Liquid Storage Tank (SKU TC8652IA) is a 1,200-gallon vertical storage tank molded from natural white polyethylene and rated to a 1.9 specific gravity - the heavy-content grade that lets it hold liquids nearly twice as dense as water without stepping up to a different shell. That 1.9 rating is the headline: if you only store water (SG 1.0), this tank is already over-built for the job and gives you long-term headroom; if you run brine, liquid fertilizer, or other dense fluids up to 1.9 SG, you do not need a heavier-rated tank to do it. It sits on an 86 x 86 inch footprint, full of water it carries 10,008 lb, and loaded to its maximum rated contents it reaches 19,015 lb. Plan the pad, the offload, and the location for those numbers - not for the empty tank.
Will it work for your site?
The footprint is the number that drives your decision. The 86 x 86 inch base tells you the slab or ring you have to pour and the gate or door the tank has to clear on delivery, and a base that wide keeps settling and tip risk low for a vertical tank of this volume. Capacity and footprint here are authoritative; verify the final overall height and dimensions against the spec and technical drawing on this page before you pour the pad or measure door clearance, since clearance decisions deserve a confirmed number rather than an estimate. If you are weighing this 1,200-gallon size against other capacities, our Tank Sizing Calculator and Tank Sizing Guide match gallons to your real draw and refill cycle before you commit.
Foundation and weight planning
The most common mistake on a vertical tank this size is sizing the pad for water when the tank may hold something denser. With a full-water weight of 10,008 lb and a maximum rated contents weight of 19,015 lb, the foundation has to carry nearly double the water figure if you ever run a heavy fluid up to the 1.9 SG ceiling. A level, full-support concrete pad sized to the 86 x 86 inch footprint is the right approach - point loads and partial support are what crack polyethylene at the base over time. For the engineering, the concrete pad sizing guide walks through the ACI 360R-10 framework and where the ACI 318 boundary falls. If this tank is going into rural fire-water or reserve duty, the fire-water reservoir design guide covers NFPA 22 sizing and cold-climate freeze protection.
Fittings and the technical drawing
Outlet and bulkhead fitting locations, sizes, and the gasket and seal type are set per this SKU's configuration. Confirm them by phone before you plumb so your fittings and gaskets match the molded ports - call 866-418-1777 to lock the fitting and outlet configuration rather than measuring in the field. It also helps to understand how a large HDPE vertical wears: wall thickness is generally greatest near the base and tapers toward the top, and the headspace above the liquid line is where vapor-driven wear tends to show up first. The HDPE wall thickness guide explains the ASTM D1998 sizing logic and why liquid-side inspection alone can miss early failures. Comparing brands at the larger end of the line? Our Snyder vs Norwesco vs Chem-Tainer vertical comparison lays out how the three makers differ on a comparable vertical.
This vertical storage tank ships LTL freight from the Chem-Tainer plant in Marked Tree, Arkansas - the point of origin for this SKU - and freight is quoted live to your ZIP. It ships empty, so the freight is light relative to the filled mass, but your site and offload equipment have to handle an 86-inch-square tank on arrival and the full load once it is in service. Get an exact freight number with our Freight Cost Estimator, or call 866-418-1777 to confirm delivery access and offload for a tank of this footprint, lock the fitting configuration, and check lead time before you order.
