| The instability of steel liquid storage tanks under high wind loads is the main objective of this thesis. Failure and damage in such tanks occurred mainly associated to buckling of the shell, under hurricane wind conditions. In this thesis we analyze the response of tanks under various wind pressure distribution assumptions, similar to those due to hurricane winds. The identification of the types of tanks that are found in the island of Puerto Rico was done and a photographic record of tanks at different locations was created. Mechanisms of damage formation and buckling of the tanks were studied. Plate and shell elements were employed to produce a discretization of the structure for finite elements analyses. Different pressure distributions were recommended in order to model a tank with a conical roof. Location, topographic condition, and other sheltering effects that contributed to the resistance of the tanks are also discussed in the thesis. |
