Abstract
Elevated water tanks (EWTs) are considered crucial structures, especially in regions with high seismic activity. Their importance lies in supplying water and combating fires during and after earthquakes, necessitating designs robust enough for anticipated seismic hazards. The European Code 8, ACI 350.3-06, and ASCE 7–16 are among the international codes and standards that are evaluated in this paper for the seismic analysis of EWTs. The response spectrum approach is used in these standards to calculate the seismic characteristics of the tanks. Using ANSYS Software, this study investigates finite element (FE) models of elevated water tanks at varying fill levels, accounting for the water sloshing effect to validate the methodologies adopted in various international codes of practice. A time history analysis is conducted under seismic loads. Peak responses of shear force and bending moment at the tank's base are investigated for the different cases. The results show that the sloshing effect on the water's free surface is a critical factor in tank analysis and design and that existing international codes may not offer precise seismic response predictions for EWTs, especially under diverse fill conditions. The FE analysis shows that seismic responses are not always highest with a fully-filled tank, contrary to international codes predictions.