How to design a filling station

1. Find a proper location

The proper land should be selected based on the topography, traffic, accesses,
neighborhood functions, etc.

2. Consider safety rules for the construction sites.

Safety codes, hazardous zones, proper materials, and special spaces and
construction details must be considered for the site design.

3. Prepare needed drawings

Architectural, structural, mechanical, and electrical drawings must be designed

based on standards and the site specifications.

Locating and site selection for gas station

When examining the proposed land for construction, pay attention to the topographic
condition, location context, traffic, access roads to the site as well as the function of the
surrounding neighborhood, the width of the passage and the volume of pedestrian traffic, and
the width of the sidewalk and the access of roads to land is essential. The construction of such
places in intersections, squares, and other prohibited areas mentioned in the laws and adjacent
to public gathering centers is not allowed.
1- It is necessary for two-way and one-way streets where small stations are constructed to
have at least six and three crossing lines, respectively. The minimum area required for
installing the station facilities is 8 meters wide by 20 meters long. (Obviously, the pedestrian
crossing route should be considered in addition to the above dimensions in width.)

2. The land should not be located adjacent to schools, educational complexes,

medical buildings, hospitals, sanatoriums, religious buildings, cinemas, as well
as sports halls, hotels, restaurants, office buildings, and other buildings and
assembly centers designed for more than 50 people, large stores ( More than
2000 square meters), residential houses, telephone exchanges, warehouses
where flammable or hazardous materials are stored in large quantities (such as
carpentry, logging, straw warehouses, paper, cardboard, fabric, explosives,
etc.).
3. The proposed land should not be in the path of flood passage and the
surrounding runoff water.
4. The selected land should not be in the vicinity of water wells, aqueducts, main
waterways, springs, rivers, electricity pylons, pipelines, or overlooking them.
5. The selected land should not be on or near the faults or on the made ground
and the place of accumulation of construction debris.
6. It is necessary for the construction site to be approved by the relevant local
authorities (municipality, traffic police, engineering and safety).
7. The construction site for the station should be at least 15 meters on both sides
far from shops and service centers that have unprotected flames
(blacksmithing, welding, radiator, casting, soldering, bakery, barbecue, etc.).
8. There should be no deciduous plants and trees on the ground.
9. In the street, access to the station should be coordinated with the city
authorities and relevant officials. Necessary measures should be taken
regarding the installation of safety equipment (warning lights, straw speed,
traffic signs, stop warning signs, etc.) 200 meters from the entrance of the
station.
10. High voltage power supply, gas transmission pipes and railway lines, etc., both
underground and above ground should be observed. The area of high-voltage
power cables should be consulted with the regional power organization
regarding the amount of voltage and humidity

Site design for filling stations and safety rules

1. It is necessary to observe the requirements of NFPA 30 and NFPA

30A standards in distancings and other related cases.
2. The design of the station should be done taking into account the legality of the
roads and the improvement of the streets.
3. The finished floor of the station area, including the tank area, product supply
platform, kiosk construction site, and the location of the vehicles and tankers,
should be located at a higher level than the surrounding passages by
constructing curbs and paving.
4. It is necessary to install the electrical panel and the required equipment in the
design of the site.
5. It is necessary to use a kiosk to install control and management equipment as
well as staff deployment. Shades with suitable dimensions in the place of the
product supply platform are also recommended.
6. The enclosure must have a suitable slope (at least one percent) to direct runoff
water to the outside. In addition, the area of parking of vehicles in the vicinity
of the fuel supply platform (and the location of the tanker during unloading)
should be separated from the surrounding area by proper curbs and paving and
should not have a longitudinal slope.
7. According to paragraph 6, the rotation radius for entering and leaving the
station area should be designed based on the length and capacity of the tanker
feeding the tank of the station. In any case, the possibility of maneuvering the
tanker to the unloading site should be easily possible.
8. It is necessary to bury the site tanker inside the insulated reinforced concrete
pool. Also in areas where the groundwater level is high; While increasing the
volume of concreting inside the mentioned pool, the tanks should be restrained
with rebars inside the concrete. (Concrete pool is not required if double-walled
tanks are used.
9. The surface on the tank area should be resistant to the traffic of vehicles with a
concentrated load (wheel load) of at least 10 tons by designing a suitable
structure.
10. All suction pipes and cables that are located in the traffic lane should be
located in concrete channels and covered with concrete slabs on the mentioned
channels. All ducts of product pipes and power cables and instruments should
be filled with sand.
11. It is necessary to cover the floor of the carriageway with reinforced concrete at
least 20 cm thick and with a layer of colored hardener.
12. It is necessary to consider all the geometric principles of transport networks in
the design of roads and accesses, including climatic conditions and the type of
soil.
13. It is necessary to lay curbs (concrete or stone curbs) or install guardrails
around the riding area of the station and the area of buried tanks and fuel
supply platforms.
14. A kiosk is a small room or structure that is used to install the equipment
needed for the operation of the station, such as the electrical panel and the
control system as well as deployment of the station operators. In designing a
kiosk, the following items should be considered:

The kiosk should be located outside the danger zone of the station and at least
4 meters away from the equipment.

– It must be located at a higher level than the refueling platform so that there is
no possibility of flammable vapors entering and accumulating inside it.
– The kiosk should have a ventilation system to the open space.
– The kiosk should be located at a height of at least 15 cm above the level of the
refueling platform.
– The kiosk must have a proper heating and cooling system.
– Cabling and inlet and outlet pipes to the kiosk should be done in a standard
way and without any pores.

15.In the design of the station, a place for stopping and refueling vehicles should
be considered. This part should have at least the following conditions:

Its level should be lower than the location of the fuel distributor.
 – The slope of the car’s area should be transverse so that if the car’s handbrake
does not work, it will not move.
– It is not allowed to install any openings or valves at the fuel distribution point
and the source of gasoline vapor emission.
– Appropriate arrangements should be made to prevent vehicles from colliding
with the fuel distribution system.
– The location and arrangement of the fuel distribution device in relation to
other equipment and adjacent streets should be determined according to the
danger range of the fuel distribution device in operation and taking into
account the maximum length of the refueling hose.
– The minimum distance of the fuel distribution device from buildings with
shutters or windows is 5.5 meters and in the absence of vents or doors and
windows is at least 4 meters

Classification of hazardous zone areas in filling stations

Hazardous areas refer to places where, due to the permanent presence of the product or the
resulting flammable vapors or the possibility of its existence, the installation of electrical
equipment to perform the work using tools requires special precautions and compliance with
relevant standards.

These areas are classified as follows:

Zone 0An area where a mixture of explosive gas is permanently present or is expected to be
present for a long time, or such conditions frequently occur many times in short periods.

Zone 1An area where, during regular operation, the presence of an intermittent or occasional
mixture of explosive gas can be expected

Zone 2An area in which the presence of an intermittent or occasional mixture of explosive
gas is not expected to occur during regular operation, or such a condition occurs very rarely
and in a short period of time.
Tank truck danger zone during unloading

Expansion of the danger zone of the product storage tank ventilation pipe

Right: No vapor recycling system Left: Equipped with vapor recycling system

Hazardous zones around the fuel dispenser and vehicles during fuel distribution
Above: No vapor recycling system
Below: Equipped with vapor recycling system

The architectural design of a filling station

Filling stations may be combined with other commercial services. Therefore, the driver can
obtain fuel, oil, service and maintenance, repair work, car accessories, and other goods all
from one location.
If there are several filling stations on the same stretch of road, there should be >100m
between any two or 250 m if the road carries heavy traffic.
On the open road, outside town limits, there should be one filling station for approximately
every 25 km.

A plot size of about 800m2 is sufficient for a basic filling station, whereas one with service
facilities will require about 1000 m2 and a large installation usually needs up to 2000 m2.

In the last ten years, the range of petrol available at filling stations has increased. Most
stations now offer a variety of types of petrol as well as diesel. The design of filling stations
should be flexible enough to accommodate future requirements.

Filling stations should be easy to turn in, easily visible, recognizable from a distance, and
located as near the road as possible. They should rarely be built in the town center, but rather
on exit roads from the town, by-passes, and trunk roads and not where queues build up before
a set of traffic lights. It is not good practice to site filling stations at street corners. A better
answer is to site them just before a corner so that customers can drive out of the station into a
side road.

Drivers should be able to refuel their cars, check, and, where necessary, top-up engine oil,
cooling water, tire pressure, and battery fluid. Other services should be available, such as:
checking the contents of the windscreen-washer bottle; cleaning the windscreen, headlights,
and hands; purchasing goods; using telephones and toilets and other facilities; as well as
facilities for car washing, vacuum cleaning, etc.

The building line and sightline, boundary distances, etc., shown in the development plan,
must be strictly observed, as well as those terms and conditions that form an integral part of
the building regulations.

Typically, there are rules which govern the following:

The size of short-term/long-term parking spaces (i.e., 2.50m x 5.00m= 12.50 m2)
The number of parking spaces required (this is dependent upon the number of employees
working at the station, in the workshops, and on the pumps); and
The space necessary for the queue at the automatic carwash (e.g., space required has to be
sufficient for 50% of the hourly throughput of the carwash

In accordance with the development plan, consideration must be given to the nominal
dimensions laid down for motor vehicles, i.e.

Turning circle car 12.50 m

Turning circle truck 26.00 m
Vehicle width car 1.85 m
Vehicle width truck 2.50 m
Vehicle length car 5.00m
Vehicle length articulated truck 18.00 m

The following regulations shall apply to all gasoline service stations:

The following regulations shall apply to all gasoline service stations:

(1) There shall be a building setback from all right-of-way lines a distance of not less than 40
feet.

(2) Service stations shall not be constructed closer than 50 feet to any residential district.

(3) The minimum distance between the intersection of right-of-way lines at a corner lot and
the driveway to a service station shall be not less than 25 feet.

(4) A raised curb at least six inches in height shall be constructed on all street property lines,
except at driveway openings.

(5) The length of curb openings shall not exceed 40 feet.

(6) When two curb openings are giving access to a single street, they shall be separated by an
island with a minimum dimension of 25 feet. Curb cuts for driveways shall not be located
closer than 10 feet to any adjoining property lines.

(7) To ensure that sufficient room be provided on either side of the pumps without intruding
upon sidewalks or on adjoining property, gasoline pumps shall not be located closer than 50
feet from any residential district.

(8) Gasoline pumps shall not be located closer than 15 feet to any street right-of-way line.

(9) A solid masonry wall shall be constructed when service station property abuts property
zoned for residential purposes. Such wall shall not be less than five feet in height and all
required yards shall be landscaped and maintained.

(10) Off-Street Parking. Off-street parking is as regulated in Chapter 18.125 SCC.

(11) Signs. Signs are as regulated in Chapter 18.140 SCC.

(12) Gasoline pump island covers are permitted to be constructed closer to the street line than
the standard setback, provided no part of the cover is closer than five feet to any street right-
of-way, and the following requirements are met:

(a) The supporting members shall not be located closer than 15 feet of any street right-of-
way.

(b) The minimum height measured between finished grade and the bottom of the cover shall
not be less than 12 feet, six inches.

(c) The maximum height, measured from finished grade to the top of the cover shall not
exceed 20 feet.

(d) The gasoline pump island cover shall be constructed in accordance with the building code
requirements. (Zoning ordinance Art. 5, § 9).