ABSTRACT
Storage containers are frequently constructed at ports in coastal regions or on reclaimed land where large settlements arise due to poor soil conditions. Uneven settlement beneath a ground-supported tank may occur, leading to several possible failure modes. The commonest causes are the use of non-uniform fill beneath the vessel and the construction of only part of the vessel on ground that has been consolidatedby the earlier presenceof a tank (Fig. 4.1). Each failuremode is closely related to a different component of the total settlement. Although the description given in the following outline review is mostly in terms of tank structures, it is equally applicable to all forms of cylindrical metal shells with the axis vertical.
