Dynamic Analysis of Aboveground Steel Storage Tanks Over Stiff Soil

In this paper, open top steel oil storage tanks resting on stiff clay soil are studied using both API650-2014 procedures and numerical FEM simulation using ADINA-2017 software. Aboveground unanchored tanks with different aspect ratios are numerically studied and analyzed, and the results are compared with API-650 procedures. The main result of this research is that the soil under the tank has an enormous effect on the behavior of the tanks in both static and dynamic stages especially on hydrostatic pressure of fluid and hoop stresses. It is also indicated that API-650 has some shortcomings especially in representing the soil under the tanks and in estimating sloshing height magnitude. For these reasons, code guidelines need more investigations in some specific cases.