Seismic Design of Liquid Storage Tanks

A simple and sufficiently accurate method for estimation the seismic response of cylindrical liquid storage tanks is presented. A mechanical model, which takes into account the deformability of the tank wall is examined; it is based on the results of a finite element analysis of the liquid-shell system. The parameters of such a model are displayed in charts that facilitate the calculations of the effective masses, their centers of gravity, and the periods of vibrations. Detailed numerical examples are presented to illustrate the applicability of this model in predicting the maximum seismic response by means of response spectrum. Comparison with the exact solution of the problem confirms the validity of the method.