Dynamic Buckling of Cylindrical Storage Tanks under Fluctuating Wind Forces

Abstract

The present paper investigates the buckling and vibration behavior of cylindrical storage tanks based on wind tunnel experiments and FEM analysis. Focus is on the effect of the vibration of tank shells on the buckling behavior. The dynamic buckling loads obtained from the experiments are compared with those obtained from the FEM analysis for static wind loading. In the case of ring-stiffened tank models, the vibration of tank shell caused by wind fluctuations affects the buckling behavior significantly. On the other hand, in the case of free-edge tank models, the tank shell exhibits quasi-static buckling behavior. In addition, the dynamic buckling behavior of practical steel tanks is simulated by time history response analysis. The dynamic buckling load is found to be larger than the static buckling load. Therefore, the effect of the inertial force generated by the vibration of tank shell on the dynamic buckling behavior seems quite small. Quasi-static response is dominant in the buckling behavior. Finally, the dynamic buckling loads are evaluated based on the results obtained from the FEM analysis for static wind loading.