The Snyder Industries 18,800-gallon vertical liquid storage tank is a large-format bulk water and liquid storage tank molded from high density linear polyethylene in black, standing 242 inches tall on a 165 x 165-inch footprint. It carries an SG rating of 1.4, with wall thickness engineered per ASTM D1998, so it handles water and denser liquids up to that specific gravity without exceeding its wall design. Below are the three things that matter before you commit on a tank this size: whether it fits your site and duty, how it ships, and the one sizing mistake that catches buyers on a vertical storage tank this large.
Will it work for your site?
This is a vertical storage tank built for high-volume bulk service: 18,800 gallons of nominal capacity inside a 165-inch diameter, 242-inch-tall HDPE body. The 1.4 specific gravity rating gives you headroom above plain water for heavier liquids — but that headroom is not free. Full of water this tank weighs 156,792 lb; at its maximum rated 1.4-SG contents it carries 219,509 lb. That is roughly 62,700 lb more load than water, a 40% heavier worst case your foundation and anchoring must be designed around. If you are still confirming the right size for your draw and refill cycle, the Tank Sizing Calculator and Tank Sizing Guide walk you through usable volume versus nameplate capacity. Fitting and outlet configuration on a tank this size is confirmed per order — call 866-418-1777 to spec bulkheads, manways, and gasket material to your service.
The foundation is the real engineering job
A 219,509 lb loaded weight on a 165 x 165-inch footprint is a serious bearing load, and the pad is where most large vertical tank installs succeed or fail. Size the concrete to the loaded 1.4-SG weight, not the empty shell, and keep the base fully and uniformly supported so the floor knuckle is not bridging a low spot. Our guide on concrete pad sizing for above-ground polyethylene tanks lays out the ACI 360R-10 framework and where the ACI 318 boundary applies. Because polyethylene wall thickness is engineered to the ASTM D1998 sizing logic rather than a single number, it is also worth reading how HDPE tank wall thickness and the ASTM D1998 sizing logic work, so your inspection routine watches the right part of the tank. See the technical drawing on this page for the dimensional layout before you finalize the pad.
The mistake to avoid: buying on gallons alone
The trap on a tank this size is sizing to the SG rating without matching it to your actual liquid and freeboard needs. The 1.4 rating is a ceiling, not a target — confirm your stored liquid's specific gravity sits at or below 1.4, and leave proper freeboard so thermal expansion and fill surges do not overtop the design. Storing above SG 1.4, or need secondary containment? Step up to a Snyder Captor double-wall — the Captor double-wall freeboard sizing guide explains how to translate density and thermal expansion into the real volume you can actually use. If this is fire-protection storage, the fire-water reservoir design guide covers NFPA 22 sizing discipline and freeze protection for cold-climate sites.
This tank ships LTL freight from the Snyder plant in Washington Court House, OH, quoted live to your ZIP. Even empty, an 18,800-gallon, 242-inch-tall shell moves as an oversized, dedicated load and needs a crane or heavy forklift to offload — confirm site access and offload equipment before you plan delivery. Get an accurate number with the Freight Cost Estimator, and for sizing help, freight, or to place the order, call our team at 866-418-1777.
