Shaking Table Testing of Cylindrical Steel Liquid Storage Tanks

Abstract

Abstract. This paper presents the experimental campaign carried out on cylindrical liquid storage steel tank specimens in CEA TAMARIS facility.Two geometries of tanks have been tested on a shaking table under seismic conditions. The broad tank specimen (diameter 3 m, height 0.9 m) was dedicated to the study of sloshing and potential uplifting during the seism. This specimen was unanchored on the table and free to lift or slide. The influence of a floating roof on sloshing has been studied. The slender specimen (diameter 2 m, height 5 m) was dedicated to the foot buckling of the cylindrical shell. The slender specimen was anchored to the table. All the specimens were water filled.All these specimens were strongly instrumented with inner pressure sensors and wave gauges and outer accelerometers and displacement sensors. In addition a new 3D scanner has been used to detect any residual deformation of the tanks by after / before tests comparisons. The purpose was to give to the calculating teams all the needed measurements and information to check their models.Results acquired on one broad tank and one slender tank are presented here.

A risk‐targeted seismic performance assessment of elephant‐foot buckling in walls of unanchored steel storage tanks

“…Substantial efforts have been made in developing simplified models of above-ground liquid storage tanks. 19,21 The seismic performance of structures depends on the ground motion intensity, as was also observed for storage tanks. 7,12,16,20 It is known that ground motion intensity at the site is, to some extent, affected by the site properties 23 Passeri et al 24 reported that the soil deposit properties affect the site response and the seismic action at the ground surface and thus, for example, at the structure foundation elevation.…”

“…Few recent experimental studies have focussed on the stress distribution on the tank wall in above-ground liquid storage tanks. 18,19 Many researchers 12,13,20 studied above-ground liquid storage tanks using refined FE models. Their studies focussed on two models applied to the liquid domain: an arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian model 12 and an acoustic model.…”

“…A full response history analysis of the coupled tank-contained liquid configuration using a detailed FE model is extremely computationally demanding. 12,[19][20][21] Such an analysis method may become computationally too demanding if used in a probabilistic approach. 22 Thus, developing simplified procedures to assess the seismic performance of tanks considering F I G U R E 1 Elephant-foot buckling of an above-ground storage tank.…”

“…In these models, the non‐linear behaviour of the tank is concentrated in springs at the edge of the tank connecting the base plate to the ground. Few recent experimental studies have focussed on the stress distribution on the tank wall in above‐ground liquid storage tanks 18,19 …”

“…In this respect, computationally efficient tools capable of capturing the non‐linear behaviour of the tank wall are needed. A full response history analysis of the coupled tank‐contained liquid configuration using a detailed FE model is extremely computationally demanding 12,19–21 . Such an analysis method may become computationally too demanding if used in a probabilistic approach 22 .…”