A simplified seismic analysis of rigid base liquid storage tanks under vertical exicitation with soil-structure interaction

Abstract

A study is carried out to evaluate dynamic response of an elastic circular cylindrical tank having a rigid base under a vertical excitation taking into consideration the interaction with the foundation soil. At first, the soil is represented by frequency-independent parameters. Two coupled differential equations, governing the motion of the shell and the base, are solved using a step by step integration technique. The hydrodynamic pressures, acting on the shell and on the base, are derived from a velocity potential function which satisfies the Laplace equation and the appropriate boundary conditions. The response of the simplified model of a tank having a rigid base on a stiff foundation soil is compated to that obtained elsewhere to check the accuracy of the present model. Reasonable agreement is found between the maximum wall displacement and the associated stresses with those found by a more elaborate model. The interaction of the tank and the soil reduces the response than that calculated under the assumption of a rigid foundation soil. A parametric study to examine the effects of the height-to-radius ratio of the tank, and the effects of the shear wave velocity of the soil on the response is conducted. Varieties of foundation models are used to assess the sensitivity of the response to the variation in the soil parameters. Finally, a more representative solution for the problem in the frequency domain is obtained where the soil is appropriately modelled by frequency-dependent parameters. The transfer functions of the response of the tank wall and of the relative base motion are evaluated, and a comparison between the frequency-dependent and the frequency-independent solutions is made.