So you are considering what type of slurry storage facility to build and want guidance? OK lets start. On the one hand you will find the “Pro”, the positions in favor:
The first point in favor of the earth bank pulp deposits will be their simplicity of construction.
The secondary plus point is low cost when a suitable low permeability in situ clay soil exists on your site for use as a lining medium.
A third plus point is that they are usually buried and underground so that mud and liquids can be easily drained or pushed downhill to the warehouse by normal farm machinery and using normal tractor attachments.
A fourth big benefit is that with a slightly raised edge they turn green quickly and are visually unobtrusive.
Lastly, the fifth supporting reason will be that such a slurry tank can be a fully farm funded project, perhaps just requiring the services of one guy with a bulldozer to complete the farm.
And on the reverse, to maintain balance, the With side, against:
The main point against sludge deposits on land banks is that, unless they are well located, they can flood in wet weather, especially if they are within the floodplain of a river and release their contents causing pollution.
The second point against will be that with their steep slopes they can be subject to erosion and instability against collapse unless they are well designed with shallow and suitably stable slopes.
The third con will be that they form their own additional rain catchment due to the way the normal 750 freeboard falls past the edge of the wetted perimeter, adding to the volume of sludge/contaminated water the farm must safely dispose of.
A fourth negative point will be that with the slope of their sides they take up much more pen space than a slurry storage design with vertical walls.
Fifth and last, against is that the bottom of the tank is below the water table, water seepage can occur inward, if not carefully designed by an expert.
So there we have all the arguments on each side.
So, in the final analysis, are land bank mud deposits a good thing or just a bad thing?
Both questions seem to have a “yes” answer! The dirt bank mud shops seem to be both good and bad! It should be left to you, the reader, to decide. Which side, good or bad, has the preponderance of the weight of opinion?