Detailed Structural Analysis of Cylindrical Steel Tank Subjected to Various Seismic Peak Ground Values Using FSI Approach

Abstract

The seismic analysis of ground-supported cylindrical steel tanks subjected to lateral harmonic displacement loadings has been carried out. This paper numerically evaluates the structural response of various tank geometries due to resonant seismic sloshing. The numerical investigation is performed using a two-way fluid structural interaction approach that couples computational fluid dynamics analysis with finite element transient structural analysis. The results of the analysis have been validated using Seismic Design Code (Eurocode 8, part 4). Regarding tank aspect ratio (H/D), five geometries covering slender, medium, and broad structures are analyzed under ten harmonic base excitations. All the geometries are excited at their first convective frequency, whose shape and magnitude are evaluated using modal analysis. The seismic response curves have been developed for each tank model, which reveal the complex and peculiar structural response. It is observed from the tanks’ seismic response that they undergo three transitional stress zones named safe, yielding, and failure zones. The critical loadings and failure duration have also been evaluated for each tank model. This will help to avoid future structural damage by designing liquid-containing structures based on evaluated seismic failure loads.