Preload

Preload LLC, founded in 1930 and headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is the pioneer and leading designer of wire-wound prestressed concrete tanks for liquid storage. The company originated wire-wound prestressed concrete tank technology in the early 1930s and has over 90 years of experience in tank design and construction. Preload builds tanks for five primary applications: potable water storage, wastewater treatment, liquefied natural gas (LNG) containment, thermal energy storage (TES), and industrial processing. Their construction method uses high-strength steel wire wound around the concrete tank shell under controlled tension, creating a permanently compressed state that eliminates the need for protective coatings and delivers a 60–80 year life cycle with virtually no routine maintenance or repainting. Preload constructs tanks on-site using 70–80% locally sourced materials — concrete composed of inert sand and gravel, and rebar from recycled steel — resulting in what the company describes as nearly 100% sustainable and recycled material content. Compared to welded and bolted steel tanks, Preload claims 30–40% cost savings during the first few years of service and over 100% savings across the full 60–80 year tank life cycle, since steel tanks require multiple blasting and coating cycles that create environmentally hazardous remediation sites. Preload maintains regional offices in Hauppauge and Woburn (Northeast), Richardson, TX (Southwest), and Mobile, AL (Southeast) to support project delivery across the United States.