ABSTRACT
The earthquake response of a liquid storage tank on a layered site, incorporating soil-foundation-structure interaction, is evaluated by using a equivalent linear strain compatible solution. The dynamic impedance functions from Wolf and Deeks (2004) for layered media are used to formulate the combined solution in the frequency domain to the horizontal impulsive mode and the vertical (breathing) mode of tank response. The solution space is partitioned into a near field high strain domain and a far field linear elastic low strain domain. Nonlinearity is captured through the use of strain compatible dynamic impedance functions based on a representative strain in the near field foundation soil. Examples are given of the dynamic stiffnesses of a circular foundation to enable some insight into the tank foundation response. Conclusions are drawn on the degree of soil structure interaction involved. The focus of the work is on the tank foundation rather than the tank structure itself.
