• Wind and Structures
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.495-508
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• 2020

To investigate the structural behaviour of grouped tanks under wind loads, 2 problems need to be figured out, wind pressures on tank shells and critical loads of the shell under these pressure distribution patterns. Following the wind tunnel tests described in the companion paper, this paper firstly seeks to obtain wind loads on the external wall in a squarely-arranged cylindrical tank group by numerical simulation, considering various layouts. The outcomes demonstrate that the numerical method can provide similar results on wind pressures and better insights on grouping effects through extracted streamlines. Then, geometrically nonlinear analyses are performed using several selected potentially unfavourable wind pressure distributions. It is found that the critical load is controlled by limit point buckling when the tank is empty while excessive deformations when the tank is full. In particular, significant reductions of wind resistance are found on grouped full tanks compared to the isolated tank, considering both serviceability and ultimate limit state, which should receive special attention if the tank is expected to resist severe wind loads with the increase of liquid level.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.453-470
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• 2014

This article is the result of an investigation on the influence of a Pasternak elastic foundation on the stability of exponentially graded (EG) cylindrical shells under hydrostatic pressure, based on the first-order shear deformation theory (FOSDT) considering the shear stresses. The shear stresses shape function is distributed parabolic manner through the shell thickness. The governing equations of EG orthotropic cylindrical shells resting on the Pasternak elastic foundation on the basis of FOSDT are derived in the framework of Donnell-type shell theory. The novelty of present work is to achieve closed-form solutions for critical hydrostatic pressures of EG orthotropic cylindrical shells resting on Pasternak elastic foundation based on FOSDT. The expressions for critical hydrostatic pressures of EG orthotropic cylindrical shells with and without an elastic foundation based on CST are obtained, in special cases. Finally, the effects of Pasternak foundation, shear stresses, orthotropy and heterogeneity on critical hydrostatic pressures, based on FOSDT are investigated.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Advanced Composite Structures
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 2010

Static analyses and buckling analyses were carried out for buried GFRP pipes by using finite element method. Vehicle loads, vertical and lateral soil pressures were considered as external loads, and supplying water pressure was considered as an internal load. Nine types of the factory-manufactured GFRP pipes were analyzed. Their maximum stresses and displacements were compared with the limit displacements and ultimate stress. Additionally, stress analysis on an enhanced flange, which was designed to reduce stress concentration, was performed. A cantilever analysis was carried out to know the maximum stress on the neck of the flange, which is the critical part. And a static analysis was carried for the buried flange. The test results showed that GFRP pipes were safe and stable against the external loads. And they showed that the enhanced flange decreased about 35% of the stress concentration.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.325-330
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• 2012

This paper describes the structural analysis and optimization of stiffeners used in inner tanks for liquid natural gas (LNG) storage, so that the costs can be minimized while the critical buckling load of the inner tank still exceeds the external pressure exerted by the perlite. The original calculation of perlite pressure applied to the inner tank was based on Zick's code, which led to the overestimation of the external pressure, and consequently, an oversized stiffener. In this study, the effects of the material properties of perlite on the external pressure distribution are scrutinized, and the optimum dimensions of a single stiffener are finally obtained through a series of parametric studies. A 15% decrease in the cost of the stiffener compared with the original design is achieved.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.755-767
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• 2018

This paper uses a finite element based approach to provide a comprehensive understanding to the behaviour and the design performance of buried uPVC pipes with different diameters. It also investigates pipes with good and poor haunch support and proposes minimum safe wall thicknesses for these pipes. The results for pipes with good haunch support showed that the maximum pipe wall stress and deformation increase as the diameter increased. The results for pipes with poor haunch support showed an increase in the dependency of the developed vertical displacement on the haunch support as the diameter or the backfill height increased. Additionally, poor haunch support was found to increase the soil pressure, with the effect increasing as the diameter increased. The design of uPVC pipes for both poor and good haunch support was found to be governed by critical buckling. A key outcome is a new design chart for the minimum wall thickness, which enables the robust and economic design of buried uPVC pipes. Importantly, the methodology adopted in this study can also be applied to the design of flexible pipes manufactured from other materials, buried under different conditions and subjected to different loading arrangements.