ABSTRACT
This study is part of an extensive research program aimed to understand the state of stresses developing in liquid-filled conical tanks subjected to hydrostatic as well as seismic loads and to establish proper design procedure due to these loads. This study focuses on assessing the buckling capacity of conical tanks under simulated seismic loads. The seismic demand acting on conical tank is evaluated using a previously developed and validated mechanical model. A three dimensional finite element model is then developed for the vessels using shell element simulation. Incremental non-linear analysis is conducted to evaluate the critical base shear force at which the vessels suffer from a state of instability. These critical values (capacity) are then compared to corresponding acting values (demand) in order to judge on the sensitivity of conical tanks to buckling due to seismic loads.
