Study on mechanical model and shaking table test of spherical tank rolling isolation

This paper proposed a spherical tank rolling isolation structural system assembled by the spherical tank, I‐steel ring beam and rolling isolation devices, and carried out the corresponding mechanical model research and shaking table test. First, a restoring force model for rolling isolation device with symmetrical concave surface was introduced. Based on the restoring force model and potential fluid theory, a mechanical model considering the interaction of fluid, support and rolling isolation layer was established. Numerical analysis results show that the rolling isolation reduction ratio always remains high at different liquid level heights. Shaking table tests were carried out to study the damping performance of the spherical tank rolling isolation structural system, and to provide verification for the established mechanical model. Test results showed that the seismic response of the spherical tank rolling isolation structural system was much lower than that of the nonisolated spherical tank. The reduction ratio of acceleration and support deformation can reach 56% to 82%, which greatly reduced the risk of structural failure. In addition, the calculated results of the mechanical model were in good agreement with the test results.