Abstract
The seismic design of structures is a requirement for any places [sic] where earthquake [sic] occurs, and the design is based upon the codes that vary according to the jurisdictions in which the code was developed for. This study introduces and assesses the document ACI 350.3-06 which was developed by the ACI Committee to guide the design of liquid containing structures, and compares to other codes such as ACI 350.3-01 and NZS 3106 of New Zealand Standard. The importance of liquid containing structures cannot be stressed further, as it is apparent in nuclear applications. The failure of tanks could be due to many reasons: 1) Shell buckling, caused by axial compression due to overall bending. 2) Roof damage as a result of sloshing of the upper portion of the containing liquid due to insufficient provision of freeboard. 3) Failure of inlets and outlets due to their inability to accommodate the deformations of the flexible tank. 4) Differential settlement or failure of supporting soil. The pressures resulted from earthquake [sic] can cause catastrophic disaster, and they [sic] are the impulsive and convective mode which exerts pressures on the walls of the tank. The hydrodynamic model used to estimate these pressures in the ACI 350.3-06 document has also adopted earlier works from Housner, Veletsos, and Shivakumar. Throughout the years, the code has transformed tremendously, and this study shows that the codes are very similar in many ways, yet their differences can yield significantly different results. Furthermore, the results from the various codes are illustrated using the same example, and the validity of the results are determined as well. The effects on seismic design due to the types of structure, whether the tank is rigid or flexible, and the support system are also introduced; moreover, their absences and the variations in the estimation of seismic parameters in some codes are also shown to have a large effect on the load estimation.
Highlights
USGS estimated that since 1990, there were an average of 18 major earthquakes and one great earthquake per year
Estimates of 90% of earthquakes occur along the 40,000-km long zone known as the Pacific Ring of Fire
The convective pressure of the New Zealand standard is slightly lower than ACI350.3-06, and it is due to the variations in the seismic response and its ductility factor; the difference is minimal for the convective pressure as opposed to the impulsive pressure
Summary
Earthquakes are the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves, which are measured in magnitudes on a Richter's scale. Nuclear reactors are just one of the significant applications, others include municipal water supply, fire fighting systems, oil tanks, liquefied natural gas, and chemical fluids. The failure of the latter types of containing structure would result in a catastrophic and costly situation such as water shortages, pollution, contamination, or prevent fire-fighting at critical times (Veletsos & Shivakumar,1996). In 2006, the American Concrete Institute have revised the journal ACI350.3-01 and established a new set of journal named ACI350.3-06 This journal provides codes and guidelines to design circular and rectangular concrete tanks in seismic zones, and the design of seismic liquid containing structures will be discussed in accordance with this provision
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
