• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.817-824
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• 2010

The concrete containment structures have been widely used in nuclear power plants, LNG storage tanks, etc., due to their high safety and economic efficiency. The containment structure consists of a bottom slab, wall, ring beam and dome. The shape of the roof dome has a very significant effect on structural safety, the quantity of materials, and constructability; the thickness and curvature of the dome should therefore be determined to give the optimum design. The ring beam plays the role as supports for the dome, resulting in a minimized deformation of the wall. The main issues in designing the ring beam are the correct dimensions of the section and the prestress level. In this study, an efficient design procedure is proposed that can be used to determine an optimal shape and prestress level of the dome and ring beam. In the preliminary design stage of the procedure, the membrane theory of shells of revolution is adopted to determine several plausible alternatives which can be obtained even by hand calculation. Based on the proposed procedures, domes and ring beams of the existing domestic containment structures are analyzed and some improvements are discussed.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.321-336
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• 2005

The structural feasibility of a variety of non-conventional sludge digesters, in the form of thin shells of revolution constructed in concrete, has formed the subject of investigation of a recent programme of research at the University of Cape Town. Such forms are usually known in the literature as "egg-shaped", and the advantages of these over conventional digesters of the wide-cylindrical type are now well-recognised: superior mixing efficiency, less accumulation of deposits at the bottom, easier removal of bottom deposits and surface crust, reduced heat losses, and so forth. With the aim of exploring the structural feasibility of various non-conventional forms for concrete sludge digesters, and making available usable analytical data and practical guidelines for the design of such thin shell structures, a number of theoretical studies have recently been undertaken, and these have covered conical assemblies, spherical assemblies and parabolic ogival configurations. The purpose of the present paper is to bring together the different analytical approaches employed in each of these studies, summarise the main findings in each case, draw comparisons among the various studied configurations with regard to structural efficiency and functional suitability, and make appropriate conclusions and recommendations.