The Chem-Tainer 315 Gallon Open Top Batch Storage Tank (SKU TC4842AA) is a cylindrical open-top polyethylene vessel built for batch mixing, settling, and bulk water staging where you need full top access to load, blend, and watch what's inside. It stands 42 inches tall on a compact 48 x 48 inch footprint and holds 315 gallons, so it slots into tight pad layouts and indoor process bays without sprawling. One thing to settle before you buy: this tank ships LTL only from a single Chem-Tainer plant in West Babylon, NY, so freight scales hard with distance. Quote your ZIP first with the Freight Cost Estimator before you commit.
Will this open top tank work for your batch?
This is a white open top tank molded from polyethylene and rated to a 2.0 specific gravity. That 2.0 SG wall is built heavier than a standard 1.5 SG water tank, which is the reason to choose this vessel: it legitimately carries brines, slurries, and dense mixed batches that a lighter water-only tank can't. Filled with plain water it carries 2,627 pounds; at its full 2.0 SG rating it is engineered for contents up to 5,254 pounds, real headroom for material that weighs more than water. Run your numbers through the Tank Sizing Calculator and the Tank Sizing Guide to confirm 315 gallons matches your batch volume and that your contents stay under the 5,254 pound ceiling at your operating density.
Fittings, layout, and the open top
This ships as an open-top vessel with no pre-installed bulkhead fittings or bottom drain in the data we hold. If your batch process needs a bottom drain, side outlet, or gasketed bulkhead, spec it separately and confirm the gasket material against your contents before you order. For layout, plan a flat, fully supporting surface under the entire 48 x 48 inch base; an open top tank relies on continuous support across the bottom rather than a structural top, and it puts its whole load straight down through the footprint. The 48 inch diameter is your controlling clearance, so measure doorways and process bays against it before delivery, and see the technical drawing on this page for the exact dimensional layout before you pour or frame a stand. If you are setting this on concrete, our guide on concrete pad sizing for above-ground polyethylene tanks walks through the ACI framework for sizing the slab under a loaded tank.
The mistake to avoid
The most common open top tank mistake is treating the 2.0 SG rating as unlimited. The wall is rated for contents up to twice the density of water, so before you fill it with anything heavier than plain water, multiply your batch density by 315 gallons and confirm you stay under the 5,254 pound rated weight. Overloading past the SG rating is the failure no warranty covers. The second mistake is underbuilding the base: full of dense batch material, this tank drives its entire load down through the 48 x 48 footprint, so the pad or stand must carry the full rated weight without flexing. If you need faster, more complete drainage of solids than a flat bottom gives, compare this against a sloped design in our breakdown of Chem-Tainer cone-bottom drainage at 30 vs 45 degrees.
This storage tank ships LTL freight, palletized, from West Babylon, NY, with freight quoted live to your ZIP. Get your number with the Freight Cost Estimator, or call 866-418-1777 and we will work it out with you. For emergency or fire-protection water reserves, see our guide on fire-water reservoir tank design and NFPA 22 sizing, and for larger staging layouts our guide on industrial water reuse tank topology.
