NEHRP Clearinghouse
- Title
- Analysis of Unanchored Liquid Storage Tanks under Seismic Loads.
- File
- PB87232872.pdf
- Author(s)
- Peek, R.
- Source
- National Science Foundation, Washington, DC. Directorate for Engineering., January 1986, 251 p.
- Identifying Number(s)
- EERL-86-01
- Abstract
- Attention is focused on the behavior of unanchored tanks under given lateral loads. Two methods of analysis for static lateral loads are presented: An approximate one in which the restraining action of the base plate is modeled by nonlinear Winkler springs, and a more comprehensive one in which the two dimensional nonlinear contact problem is solved by the finite difference energy method. Theoretical results are compared with existing experimental results and with the approach from current U.S. design standards. The theoretical peak compressive stresses are in good agreement with the experimental results, but in some cases exceed those calculated by the code method by more than 100%. A new design concept, in which the tank wall is preuplifted all around its circumference by inserting a ring filler, is described and shown theoretically and experimentally to improve substantially the lateral load capacity.
- Keywords
- Water towers; Seismic design; Storage tanks; Earthquake engineering; Uplift pressure; Buckling