Behavior of stressed skin corrugated sheet under hydrostatic loads

Abstract

Water storage in buildings is an integral part of water supply, which can be used for firefighting and drinking. It can be divided into three categories: elevated, rooftop, and underground water tanks. This paper presents a novel water storage system consisting of thin-walled corrugated steel sheets, which can be installed in a multi-story building on any floor. Compared with a reinforced concrete tank, the integrated steel water tank can be fabricated and installed much faster and store freshwater more easily. To develop the system, a finite element model is developed, which is validated using the on-site measurements. Next, the model is used to conduct a parametric study to evaluate the effects of boundary conditions, panel depth, sheet thickness, trough-to-crest width ratio, and corrugation angle on the behavior of integrated steel water tanks. The model is further used to evaluate the water tank subjected to lateral diaphragm loads and report the tank stiffness under combined loads. Finally, an implementation guide for the steel tank is presented, showing the supporting system, vacuum and magnetic handling of steel panels, robotic welding techniques, and delivery. It can be concluded that the paneled steel tank can be an efficient solution for water storage inside buildings.