Sloshing effects on the seismic design of horizontal-cylindrical and spherical vessels

Abstract

The paper concerns earthquake-induced sloshing analysis in horizontal-cylindrical and spherical industrial vessels. More specifically, the paper focuses on the calculation of the total force in such vessels, due to horizontal seismic excitation. The proposed methodology is based on a "impulsive" - "convective" decomposition of the liquid-vessel total motion, widely used in the design of vertical-cylindrical tanks. This method offers a simple and efficient tool for estimating the total seismic force, considering sloshing effects, and extends the current design practice stated in API 650 and EC8 for vertical cylindrical tanks.