To minimise odour nuisance at Skive wastewater treatment plant, Denmark, two treatment tanks have been fitted with a cover made of Fiberline planks.

"The tanks were old and had not been used for some time. However, we recently decided to optimise biological phosphorous removal - a process also known as sludge hydrolysis. We therefore needed a membrane that would cover the tanks and minimise the risk of odour nuisance to our neighbours," says Tage Damsgaard, Operations Manager at Skive wastewater treatment plant.

Non-slip walkways
"Fiberline's planks are available with a quartz sand coating. This was important as we have to be able to walk on the tanks to service the mixers. The tank covers must therefore be completely safe to walk on, including in rain and snow. The quartz sand coating provides just the non-slip surface we need," adds Tage Damsgaard.

Easy to install
"Assembling the Fiberline planks was as easy as putting up a wooden ceiling," says Michael Thomasen, head of Braarup Maskinfabrik A/S, the company which built the tank covers.

"We cut the planks using ordinary circular saws, and the covers – combined surface area 700 m2 – were constructed in no time at all. The work consisted of assembling and sealing the planks lengthwise and crosswise, and integrating them into a structure that is easily removable for tank cleaning. The openings, which cover an area of 6 x 8 m (four per tank) are designed so they can be removed as a single section. Both tanks are also equipped with three inspection hatches, each measuring 80 x 80 cm, that give access to the mixers," says Michael Thomasen.

European wastewater treatment plants
Fiberline planks are used at a number of European wastewater treatment plants as walkways, bridges, roofs – and now also as covers for very large structures. Their popularity is down to their non-slip properties, combined with corrosion and UV-resistance and the need for minimal maintenance. Fiberline grates are also utilised in overflow structures, walkways, etc.