Oil Containment
North America's Premier Oil Containment Association | 1,847+ Members | SPCC Compliance, Foam Berms & Containment Technology
Drive-over foam berms for containment that moves
A closed-cell foam wall under a seamless polyurea skin. It deploys in minutes, takes a loaded truck straight over the wall, and goes back on the trailer when the job moves.
Foam for the shape, polyurea for the skin
The foam gives the wall its geometry and lets a wheel roll over it without tearing. The coating does the containment.
Closed-cell foam core
Compresses under a wheel and returns to shape. Closed cell matters: an open-cell core takes on water, freezes and delaminates in one season.
Seamless polyurea skin
Sprayed over the foam and the floor in one continuous pass, so the wall and the floor are a single membrane. There is no welded joint to fail.
Integral floor liner
The floor is part of the same membrane, not a separate sheet laid under it. That is the difference between containment and a tray with a gap.
Size the berm
Footprint and wall height in, capacity and coated area out.
Foam berm sizing
Work out the holding capacity, wall run and drive-over rating for a portable berm.
Capacity assumes a flat deck and full wall height with no freeboard deduction. Add freeboard for rain and wave action on outdoor berms.
Setting one up properly
Clear and inspect the pad
Sweep out anything sharp. Rock, rebar offcuts and frozen clods are what punctures floors – not the traffic.
Roll out with the drive path square
Unroll so the entry and exit walls sit square to the direction of travel. A truck crossing a wall at an angle puts all the load on one corner.
Set the walls and check the corners
Walls upright, corners seated, no folds trapped under the floor. A folded corner is a leak path the first time it takes weight.
Stake or ballast if it is windy
An empty berm is light. Stake through the designated tabs only, never through the containment floor.
Walk the floor before every shift
Two minutes. Look for punctures, standing water and debris, and log it.
Drain under procedure, not with a knife
Accumulated rainwater is removed by pump after inspection. Cutting a drain into a berm is the end of that berm.
What to write into the purchase order
| Property | Containment grade | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Coating type | Pure or hybrid polyurea | Cure speed and hydrocarbon resistance |
| Skin thickness | 60-125 mil | Puncture and abrasion life |
| Elongation at break | 300% minimum | Crack bridging and drive-over flex |
| Tensile strength | 2,000 psi minimum | Wall integrity under wheel load |
| Service temperature | -40°F to 180°F | Cold-weather brittleness |
| Foam | Closed-cell only | Water uptake and freeze damage |
| Floor | Integral, seamless to wall | No joint at the highest-stress line |
| Repair | Field patch kit supplied | Keeping a punctured berm in service |
Ask the fabricator to confirm each line in writing. A supplier who will not put elongation and service temperature on paper is telling you something.
Frequently asked
Will a loaded truck really not damage the wall?
A properly built drive-over berm is designed for it, and that is the whole point of the foam core. What does damage walls is crossing at an angle, crossing at speed, and crossing a berm whose foam has taken on water and frozen.
How cold can I deploy one?
Deployment down to about -40°F with a containment-grade polyurea skin. The limit in practice is usually the operator, not the berm. PVC-walled berms become brittle around 10°F and should not be flexed below that.
How do I get rainwater out?
Inspect the water, and if it is visibly free of oil and sheen, pump it out and log the volume, time and inspector. Never cut or puncture the berm to drain it.
Can a punctured berm be repaired on site?
Yes. Clean and abrade the area, apply the patch material from the kit, and let it cure. Document the repair – a patched berm with a record is fine, an undocumented one raises questions.
Does a berm satisfy SPCC for a fixed tank?
Rarely on its own. Portable berms are accepted for mobile refueling and temporary operations. Fixed bulk storage normally needs engineered containment sized to the largest vessel. Check with the applicability tool.
Get a berm specified for your site
Send the footprint, the fluid and the traffic. A member fabricator will come back with a drawing and a price.