Insights

A GA drawing (General Arrangement drawing) shows the overall layout of a tank: its main elements, key dimensions, and how everything fits together. It's the document that sits between the designer and the customer, and it becomes the reference point everyone else works from, including civil contractors, installers, carriers, engineers, and test certifiers.

If you've been sent a GA drawing for a fuel tank project and aren't sure what you're looking at, here's what's actually on it and why each part matters.

A typical GA drawing includes:

Tank model

Identifies exactly which product and configuration is being supplied, so there's no ambiguity between quote, drawing, and delivered tank.

Tank capacity and safe fill levels

States the tank's rated volume and its safe fill level (SFL), the maximum amount of fuel the tank should hold in practice, accounting for thermal expansion and venting requirements.

Tank weight

Both empty and full weights matter here, since they affect the base or foundation design, lifting equipment needed on installation day, and any structural considerations for the site.

Tank dimensions

Overall length, width, and height, along with the position of key fittings, so installers and site engineers can confirm the tank will physically fit and connect where it needs to.

Fittings

Everything included with the tank, ports, valves, gauges, vents, and any deviations from the standard configuration that were agreed to during the quote process.

Accessories

Add-ons such as walkways, spill containment, or other site-specific extras that were included as part of the build.

Customer-specific notes

A space to capture any project-specific requirements or clarifications that don't fit neatly into the standard drawing fields, so nothing gets lost between conversations and the final build.

At Fuelchief, the GA drawing tracks every revision made to a tank for a specific job and serves as the sign-off document confirming how the finished tank will be configured. Here's how that process works.

1. A GA of the basic tank model is submitted with the quote.

From here, the customer works through the drawing with fitters, installers, and engineers, marking up any changes needed to size, shape, fittings, or accessories. This stage can take a few rounds of revisions depending on how many parties are involved, and each revision is logged in the revision table on the bottom left of the drawing.

2. The customer signs off the drawing and provides a purchase order.

Once signed, the drawing goes to Fuelchief's design department, where purchasing and production coordinate to schedule the job. From sign-off and deposit through to a completed welded tank typically takes 8-10 weeks, though this depends on the current production schedule and priorities. Your Fuelchief representative can confirm timelines specific to your job.

From there, an in-depth manufacturing drawing is produced, and purchasing, production, and the in-house designer work together to make sure the correct parts are ordered and the tank is built exactly to spec.