Sealed and thermally insulated tank

A sealed and thermally insulating tank which is integrated in a structure which comprises a carrier wall, said tank comprising a tank wall which is fixed to said carrier wall, the tank wall comprising, on the one hand, a primary element and, on the other hand, a secondary element which is arranged between the carrier wall and the primary element, the primary element including a primary thermal insulation barrier which is constituted by primary insulation blocks in the form of rectangular parallelepipeds which are juxtaposed in parallel rows, the secondary element including a secondary thermal insulation barrier which is constituted by secondary insulation blocks in the form of rectangular parallelepipeds which are juxtaposed in parallel rows, the primary and secondary insulation blocks comprising a layer of plastics material foam which is clamped between two rigid insulation plates which delimit the insulation block, the two rigid insulation plates being substantially parallel with the carrier wall in a zone of the carrier wall in the region of which the two rigid insulation plates are located, the primary element including a primary sealing barrier which is arranged on the primary thermal insulation barriers, the secondary element including a secondary sealing barrier which is arranged on the secondary thermal insulation barrier, the secondary thermal insulation barrier being fixedly joined to the carrier wall, the primary thermal insulation barrier being fixedly joined to the secondary element of the tank by fastening means which are connected to the secondary thermal insulation barrier, and allowing the primary insulation blocks to be pressed onto the secondary insulation blocks of the secondary element of the tank wall,

• characterized in that four adjacent primary insulation blocks each comprise, in the region of a corner adjacent to the other three primary insulation blocks, a countersink being formed in a surface of a rigid insulation plate of said primary insulation block, wherein said rigid insulation plate is adjacent to the secondary sealing barrier and covers the secondary sealing barrier, wherein said surface of the rigid insulation plate is turned toward the secondary sealing barrier, and in that the fastening means comprise:
• for each countersink of said four adjacent primary insulation blocks,
• a metal plate which is fixed in said countersink, the metal plate comprising at least one retention zone,
• a protruding member which is connected via a base thereof to a secondary insulation block which is facing the metal plates, and
• a connection element connecting said retention zone of the metal plate to the protruding member, the connection element comprising a retention zone which is in engagement with
• a stack of resilient washers which are engaged on the protruding member, a nut being screwed above the stack of resilient washers,
• the protruding member having a threaded head in order to cooperate with the nut, whose screwing applies to the retention zone of the metal plates, via the connection element, a force in the direction of the carrier wall.