International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395 -0056

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SEISMIC ANALYSIS OF CIRCULAR ELEVATED TANK

Urmila Ronad1,Raghu K.S2, Guruprasad T.N3.
1PG student, Dept of Civil Engineering, SIET, Tumkur, India.
2Structural Engineer, SSCR&D Centre Bangalore. India
3Assistent Professor, Dept of Civil Engineering, SIET, Tumkur, India

Abstract:Liquid storage tanks are used in industries for knowledge of supporting system some of the water tanks
storing chemicals. Petroleum products & for storing water in were collapsed or heavily damaged. So there is need to
public water distribution system. In this study seismic focus on seismic safety of lifeline structure with respect to
behavior of cylindrical liquid storage tanks was carried out alternate supporting system which are safe during
by performing dynamic response spectrum analysis using earthquake and also to withstand more design forces. The
FEM base software (ETABS) as per IS 1893: 2002.Analysis frame support of elevated water tank should have
was carried out for elevated circular RC tank for empty & adequate strength to resist axial loads, moment and shear
full tank condition under different soil conditions & different force due to lateral loads. These forces depend upon total
zones. The responses include base shear & base moments in weight of the structure, which varies with the amount of
all soil conditions have been compared. water present in the tank container. An analysis of the
dynamic behavior of such tanks must take into account the
motion of the water relative to the tank as well as the
Key Word: Sloshing, Circular water tank, Soil condition, motion of the tank relative to the ground. The aim of the
Seismic zones, Base shear, Base moment, ETABS 9.7.1. present work is to compare the seismic performance of
elevated water tank considering different zones and
INTRODUCTION-An elevated water tank is a large water different soil condition.
storage container constructed for the purpose of holding
water supply at certain height to provide sufficient METHODOLOGY
pressure in the water distribution system. Liquid storage The methodology includes fixing the dimensions
tanks are used extensively by municipalities and industries of components for the selected water tank and performing
for storing water, inflammable liquids and other chemicals. nonlinear dynamic analysis by: 1893- 2002 (Part 2) draft
Industrial liquid tanks may contain highly toxic and code. This work proposes to study Circular tanks of
inflammable liquids and these tanks should not lose their different zones with all type of soil condition. The analysis
contents during the earthquake. These tanks have various is carried out for tank with full tank and empty condition.
types of support structures like RC braced frame, steel Finite Element Model (FEM) is used to model the elevated
frame, RC shaft, and even masonry pedestal. The frame water tank using ETAB software.
type is the most commonly used staging in practice. The
main components of the frame type of staging are columns MODEL DESCRIPTION
and braces. The staging acts like a bridge between
container and foundation for the transfer of loads acting Capacity of tank: 250m3
on the tank. Thus Water tanks are very important for
public utility and for industrial structure. Top slab thickness: 250mm
Elevated water tanks consist of huge water mass
Bottom slab thickness: 100mm
at the top of a slender staging which are most critical
consideration for the failure of the tank during
Cylindrical wall: 200mm
earthquakes. Elevated water tanks are critical and
strategic structures and the damage of these structures Circular ring beam: 500*1000mm
during earthquakes may endanger drinking water supply,
cause to fail in preventing large fires and substantial Braces: 300*500mm
economical loss. Since, the elevated tanks are frequently
used in seismic active regions hence; seismic behavior of Column: 500mm diameter
them has to be investigated in detail. Due to the lack of

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No of columns: 6 Importance factor: 1.5

Column height: 16m Equivalent static analysis considering

hydrodynamic effect and response spectra analysis was
Height of tank: 7.8m carried out on the above selected models. For calculating
the seismic weight of tank weight of empty container plus
2/3 weight of staging is considered. Hydrodynamic forces
were calculated considering spring mass model suggested
by IS 1893:2002 part II. Tank is model in finite element
software package ETABS. The walls are modeled as shell
element with six degrees of freedom at each node. Beams
and columns are modeled as frame element. The lateral
forces considering impulsive and convective masses due to
earthquake is lumped at mass centre of tank along both
the principal directions. A rigid link is assumed from top of
staging up to the mass centre of tank and lateral
earthquake forces are lumped on rigid link in both the
principal directions. For the present study CG of tank is
taken as CG of empty container. Finally parameters such as
base shear and base moments for the above model are
presented.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Table 1: For hard soil condition

Zone Tank empty Tank full condition

condition
Base Base Base Base
Fig no 1. Elevation of water tank shear moment shear moment
(kN) (kN-m) (kN) (kN-m)
II 49.76 1131.79 63.54 1445.08
III 79.61 1810.43 101.66 2311.86
IV 119.41 2715.65 152.48 3467.78
V 179.12 4073.47 228.74 5201.6

250
Base shear in KN

200
Fig no 2. Plan at staging 150
100
ANALYSIS
50
Seismic data used for analysis Zones0
II III IV V
Zones: II. III. IV. V. Empty tank 49.76 79.61 119.41 179.12
Zone factor: 0.1, 0.16, 0.24, 0.36. Full tank 63.54 101.66 152.48 228.74

Reduction factor: 2.5

Soil type: Soft. Medium. Hard Fig No 3. Base shear in hard soil condition

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Base moment (KN-m)

6000
Base moment (KN-m)

8000
5000 7000
4000 6000
5000
3000 4000
2000 3000
2000
1000
1000
0 Zones0
Zones II III IV V II III IV V
Empty tank 1132 1810 2716 4073 Empty tank 1538.87 2467.19 3693.28 5539.93
Full tank 1445 2312 3468 5202 Full tank 1965 3144.12 4716.18 7074.28

Fig No 4.Base moment in hard soil condition

Fig No 6. Base moment in medium soil condition
Table 2: For medium soil condition
Table 3: For soft soil condition
Zone Tank full Tank empty condition
condition Zone Empty tank Full condition
Base Base Base Base Base Base Base Base
shear moment shear moment shear moment shear moment
(kN) (kN-m) (kN) (kN-m) (kN) (kN-m) (kN) (kN-m)
II 67.67 1538.87 86.4 1965
III 108.27 2467.19 138.26 3144.12 II 83.09 1889.64 106.1 2413
IV 162.47 3693.28 207.38 4716.18 III 132.9 3023.42 168.27 3860.8
V 243.6 5539.93 311.08 7074.28 5
IV 199.4 4535.19 254.6 5791.2
2
V 299.1 6802.7 381.98 8686
Base shear (KN)

350 3
300
250
200
Base shear (KN)

150 500
100
50 400
0 300
Zones II III IV V 200
Empty tank 67.67 108.27 162.47 243.6 100
Full tank 86.4 138.26 207.38 311.08 0
Zones II III IV V
Empty tank 83.09 132.95 199.42 299.13
Full tank 106.1 168.27 254.6 381.98
Fig No 5. Base shear in medium soil condition

Fig No 7.Base shear in soft soil condition

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10000 3000

Base moment (KN-m)

9000 2500
Base moment (KN-m)

8000
7000 2000
6000 1500
5000 1000
4000
500
3000
2000 0
Medium
1000 Hard soil Soft soil
soil
0
Zones II III IV V Empty tank 1131.78 1538.87 1889.64
Empty tank 1889.643023.424535.19 6802.7 Full tank 1444.9 1965 2413
Full tank 2413 3860.8 5791.2 8686
Fig No 10.Base moment for different soils

Following are the conclusions are observed form

Fig No 8. Base moment in soft soil condition above figures
Table 4: For zone II 1. From figure 3. 5 &7 is observed that for tank
full condition the base shear is more.
Soil Empty tank Full tank
2. Form figure 4.6 & 8 is observed that the base
condition Base Base Base Base
shea moment shear momen
moments is higher for full tank condition as
r (kN-m) (kN) t(kN- compare to empty tank condition.
(kN) m) 3. If the water tank is located in higher seismic
Hard soil 49.76 1131.78 63.54 1444.9 zone corresponding base shear and base
Medium 67.67 1538.87 86.4 1965 moments would also increase.
soil 4. Form figure 9 & 10 is observed that the base
Soft soil 83.09 1889.64 106.1 2413 shear &Base moment changes with soil
medium.

120 REFERENCES
Base shear (KN)

100
80 Journal papers
60 1. Chih-Hua Wu., et al., Numerical study of sloshing liquid
40 in tanks with baffles by time-independent finite
20 difference and fictitious cell method, Computers &
0 Fluids volume 63,30 june 2012.
Hard soil
Medium
Soft soil 2. Shakib H., et al., Seismic Demand Evaluation of
soil Elevated Reinforced Concrete Water Tanks,
Empty tank 49.76 67.67 83.09 International Journal of Civil Engineering. Vol. 8, No. 3,
September 2010.
Full tank 63.54 86.4 106.1
3. Malhotra, P.K, 2004, “Seismic analysis of FM
approved suction tanks”, Draft copy, FM Global, USA.
Fig No 9.Base shear for different soils
4. Rai D C, 2002, “Retrofitting of shaft type staging for
elevated tanks”, Earthquake Spectra, ERI, Vol. 18
No.4, 745-760
5. Malhotra, P.K, Wenk. T. and Martin Wieland.M, “Simple
procedure for Seismic Analysis of Liquid Storage

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 International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395 -0056
Volume: 03 Issue: 09 | Sep-2016 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072

Tanks”, Structural Engineering International, Volume

10, Number 3, 1 August 2000 , pp. 197-201(5)
6. Housner G.W, 1963b, “The Dynamic Behaviour of
Water Tanks”, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of
America, Vol.53, No.2, February 1963, 381-387
7. Housner.G.W, 1963a, “Dynamic analysis of fluids in
containers subjected to acceleration”, Nuclear
Reactors and Earthquakes, Report No. TID 7024, U.S.
Atomic Energy Commission, Washington D.C.

Code books

1. IS 1893 (Part 1):2002 Criteria for earthquake

resistant design of structures.

2. IS: 1893(Part II) (2005) Draft Criteria for

Earthquake Resistant Design of Structure (Liquid
Retaining Tanks), in this draft two mass modal is
illustrate for analysis of liquid storage tank.

3. IS: 3370 (part II-IV)-1965 Code of practice for

concrete structures for the storage of liquids, in
this code general requirement and stress for
design of liquid storage tank is illustrated.

4. IS: 3370 ( Part II ) – 1965 code of practice for

concrete structures for the storage of liquids

5. IS: 11682-1985 Criteria for design of RCC staging

for overhead water tanks, in this code analysis and
design for both type of staging frame staging and
shaft staging has illustrate.

6. IS: 456-2000 plain and reinforced concrete code

of practice, in this code all design parameter for
RCC design of different component of elevated
water tank.

7. SP 64 (S & T): 2001, “Explanatory Handbook on

Indian Standard Code of Practice for Design
Loads (other than earthquake) for Buildings and
Structures (IS 875 Part 3-Wind Loads)”, BIS, New
Delhi.
Text Books
1. Punmia, B.C., Jain, A.K. and Jain, A.K., (2001) “R.C.C.
Design”, Laxmi Publications (P) LTD, New Delhi.
2. S,K Duggal; Earthquake resistant design of
structure.

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