Preparing Vehicles and Military Tanks for sinking as artificial Reefs - How to do it?

[BoltSnap]

We have lots of military vehicles including Tanks and artillery guns in Libya that are damaged beyond repair and are no longer usable sitting as wreckage on streets and military bases (lots of Tanks). I'd like to try to sink them in 10 - 15 meter waters in the sandy patches close to shore. I need advice on what I will have to remove from these vehicles as not to create environmental issues in the water or cause danger to marine life and/or divers after sinking.

I am going to make sure that all fluids, grease, batteries, fluid pipes/lines, asbestos (if any), wires and anything else I believe is a pollution hazard are removed before sinking.

Any other material or parts I should remove from these vehicles to prevent pollution and/or danger to marine or divers life?

(In addition to the advice on what what else to remove from these vehicles, I'd appreciate any other advice on this project that I haven't addressed above please)

 

[lowviz]

Maybe read this first: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/2015/artreef_revival.pdf

Make sure that you are not creating a navigation hazard, 10-15m sounds really iffy. You will be thrilled with the results if done correctly.

Best wishes on your project...

 

[decompression]

These are the experts, contact them

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[Akimbo]

You might also investigate the type of bottom you put this stuff on. Sand can shift a lot throughout the seasons and some of this stuff is pretty heavy with a small weight-bearing footprint. You don't want to go through all this work and have it all sink into the sand or strata of mud beneath it. A small number of oceanographers and civil engineers are really up on this stuff but I have no idea how to locate them.

 

[BoltSnap]

Maybe read this first: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/2015/artreef_revival.pdf

Make sure that you are not creating a navigation hazard, 10-15m sounds really iffy. You will be thrilled with the results if done correctly.

Best wishes on your project...

These vehicles are low height type of vehicles, not more than 3 meters high if that much. We will be placing them in sandy patches close to rock formations away from marine shipping lanes. We will consult with local authorities and get their approvals before we go ahead of course.

Note: 10 - 15 meters = 33 - 50 feet

 

[diversteve]

You might get some pointers here also: California Ships to Reefs, Inc. - Home

My personal opinion would be remove things like tank hatches, truck doors etc. so they didn't accidentally get closed then fuse in that position denying future divers access. People being what they are everybody is going to want a photo of themselves "driving" the tank underwater. I know I would... Ahough those spaces are pretty small even without a tank on your back so I wonder if that's even possible on Scuba?

Plus any levers/controls etc. in those compartments someone could get hung up on. Pull the fuel tanks, the transaxle cases etc. rather than draining them since they'd be hard to thoroughly clean. Fuel lines you can mostly run an eco-friendly solvent thru and catch the sludge on the other end - plus blow them out with high pressure air.

What does a tank weigh? And can you affordably get a ship with a crane to lift one?

Any old transport planes available? I've dove several of those in the past. You don't need the wings, just the fuselage which also cuts down on the cleaning and moving costs. One I was in they just left the window seats intact but removed all the others. Made it easier to access.

 

[njdiver1]

These might help:

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/management/recreational/documents/narp_cover_3.pdf


http://water.epa.gov/type/oceb/habi...tificialreefsuments_0605finalreefguidance.pdf


http://www.gsmfc.org/pubs/SFRP/Guidelines_for_Marine_Artificial_Reef_Materials_January_2004.pdf


http://bay.ifas.ufl.edu/pdfs/sea_gr...ne_Artificial_Reef_Materials_January_1997.pdf


http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/2005/reefplan05.pdf


http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/news/reefcn97.htm


http://myfwc.com/media/131591/ArtificialReefMaterialsGuidelines.pdf

 

[Jax]

What does a tank weigh? And can you affordably get a ship with a crane to lift one?

The old M60A1, combat ready, weighed 68 tons. The M1A3 Abrams main battle tank weighed 74.

 

[BoltSnap]

My personal opinion would be remove things like tank hatches, truck doors etc. so they didn't accidentally get closed then fuse in that position denying future divers access. People being what they are everybody is going to want a photo of themselves "driving" the tank underwater. I know I would... Ahough those spaces are pretty small even without a tank on your back so I wonder if that's even possible on Scuba?

Plus any levers/controls etc. in those compartments someone could get hung up on. Pull the fuel tanks, the transaxle cases etc. rather than draining them since they'd be hard to thoroughly clean. Fuel lines you can mostly run an eco-friendly solvent thru and catch the sludge on the other end - plus blow them out with high pressure air.

We plan to remove the engine and all vehicle "guts" that don't add value to the "image."

What does a tank weigh? And can you affordably get a ship with a crane to lift one?

LOTS. Some of the vehicles look like big Tanks with very heavy armor but they are actually Howitzer guns with Tracks the Body of the vehicle is very thick metal. I think that they can be transported to the site by big barges one or two at the time and then just push them somehow into the water.

Any old transport planes available? I've dove several of those in the past. You don't need the wings, just the fuselage which also cuts down on the cleaning and moving costs. One I was in they just left the window seats intact but removed all the others. Made it easier to access.

Lots of junk military plane of all sorts in addition to so many civilian small and large planes littering the airport. You give me a great additional ideas of different types of wrecks I guess it will be the same way to clean the planes as the rest of the wrecks.

---------- Post added November 8th, 2015 at 11:54 PM ----------

The old M60A1, combat ready, weighed 68 tons. The M1A3 Abrams main battle tank weighed 74.

We are talking about the Russian T52's and Italian made self propelled 155mm Howitzer (Looks like a very big Tank with one huge gun barrel) in addition to various types of military transport vehicles and artillery trucks (GRAD rockets).

I am not sure but when we remove the engine, doors/hatches, and all parts that don't add to the value of the vehicle image, the weight will be less (but not sure by how much).

 

[lowviz]

These vehicles are low height type of vehicles, not more than 3 meters high if that much. We will be placing them in sandy patches close to rock formations away from marine shipping lanes. We will consult with local authorities and get their approvals before we go ahead of course.

Excellent.

Note: 10 - 15 meters = 33 - 50 feet

Yeah, I'm fine with metric. This is what passes through the general areas that I dive: https://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch3en/conc3en/containership_draft_size.html Thus my concern, nothing more than that.

Please keep us posted. Pics are wonderful.