Fibre Reinforced Precast Concrete Septic Tanks

Fibre reinforced precast concrete septic tanks combine corrosion free reinforcement with efficient manufacturing to deliver durable, high performance precast concrete solutions. Plastek Industries worked closely with BarChip to replace traditional steel reinforcement across its range of precast concrete septic tanks, treatment systems and other precast concrete products.

Manufacturer: Plastek Industries
Application: Fibre Reinforced Precast Concrete
Engineering Support: Finite Element Analysis (FEA)
Reinforcement:  BarChip 48 Macro Synthetic Fibre

If you had told us in early 2020 that you were starting a manufacturing business just as the world entered a global pandemic, we might have suggested waiting. Instead, the team at Plastek Industries saw an opportunity to restore local manufacturing and bring jobs back to the Ballarat region of Victoria.

With more than 50 years of industry experience, the multi-generational Australian-owned business has grown into a leading manufacturer of rotationally moulded polyethylene products and a wide range of precast concrete solutions. Today, Plastek manufactures stormwater pits, septic tanks and treatment systems, water tanks and troughs, telecommunications and electrical pits, manholes, access covers and custom precast products, all reinforced with BarChip macro synthetic fibres.

Plastek is a customer focused organisation committed to delivering long term value through product quality and operational excellence. It was this philosophy that led the company to BarChip when production first commenced.

Managing Director Russell Coxall explains:

“BarChip helps us deliver long-term durability for our customers. The ductility of the fibre combined with our engineered designs generates the best performance possible, and by eliminating steel from our products we eliminate any risk of corrosion related issues in the future.”

Using Plastek’s engineered designs, BarChip provided finite element analysis (FEA) to optimise fibre reinforced solutions for the 1,800 L, 3,300 L and 5,000 L septic tanks. The tanks were manufactured, independently tested and successfully certified to Australian Standards by SAI Global. Following this success, Plastek and BarChip expanded the use of macro synthetic fibre reinforcement across the company’s wider range of precast concrete products.

Benefits Beyond Reinforcement

While improving structural performance is the main objective, replacing traditional steel mesh with BarChip macro synthetic fibres delivered significant benefits throughout the manufacturing process.

1. Time – Eliminating steel mesh removed the time required to roll, cut and position reinforcement in each mould, improving manufacturing efficiency.
2. Safety – Unrolling, cutting, and placing steel in moulds presented numerous points of risk for worker safety. These were all eliminated with a fibre reinforced concrete solution.
3. Waste – Fibre reinforcement eliminated steel off-cuts and the associated material waste generated during manufacturing.
4. Cost vs Steel – Macro synthetic fibres provided a cost effective alternative to traditional steel reinforcement, particularly as steel prices increased.
5. Labour – Simplified reinforcement reduced labour requirements while providing a faster and more consistent manufacturing process.
6. Carbon Footprint – BarChip macro synthetic fibres offer a significantly lower embodied carbon footprint than conventional and even many low carbon steel reinforcement solutions.
7. Performance – Unlike conventional reinforcement, BarChip reinforces the entire cross-section of each concrete element, providing three-dimensional reinforcement throughout the product.
8. Durability – Corrosion free macro synthetic fibres eliminate the risk of reinforcement corrosion, improving long-term durability.

General Manager Alex Coxall explains the practical impact these changes had on daily production:

“It used to take us up to half a day to roll, cut and place steel into all our moulds. With BarChip we don’t have to do any of this, which gives us more time to focus on the quality of the products we’re delivering to clients.”

Today, BarChip reinforcement is used across Plastek’s growing range of precast concrete products, helping deliver durable, corrosion free solutions that benefit manufacturers, contractors and asset owners alike. The collaboration demonstrates how engineered fibre reinforced concrete can improve not only structural performance, but also manufacturing efficiency, worker safety and long-term product durability.