A Numerical Study of Uplift Motion of Flat-Bottom Cylindrical Shell Model Tank Subjected to Harmonic Excitation
In analyzing the rocking motion of unanchored flat-bottom cylindrical shell tanks, the fluid-structure interaction and the impact between the tank bottom plate and tank foundation should be treated adequately. Employing harmonic excitation, this paper examines the applicability of the explicit FE-Analysis technique for analyzing the rocking motion of a flat-bottom cylindrical shell tank model. Since the tank model possesses a thick and elastic bottom plate, the model tank pivots upon from an edge of the bottom plate to another edge of that reciprocally. The rocking motion of the model tank to the harmonic excitation is numerically computed and the uplift displacement of the tank is compared with experimental result. Agreement between the numerical and experimental results implies that the explicit FE-Analysis is capable of analyzing the rocking motion of cylindrical shell tanks subjected to the earthquake excitation.