Fluid–Structure Idealization in Intze Tank under Seismic Loads

In view of its economy and durability, Intze tank design has been commonly used for decades for storing water in public water distribution systems and in industries for storing chemicals and petroleum products. However, the current structural design of the tank is very much vulnerable to seismic loads. Thus, it is important to emphasize the safety of such tanks against earthquakes. In present study, single mass and two-mass idealization of tank structure was investigated using convention approach as well as finite element method and the structural parameters were evaluated and compared. Further, the seismic behaviour of the tank was studied using Equivalent Static and Response Spectrum methods. The two-mass idealization, based on IITK-GSDMA guidelines, was employed to ascertain the seismic parameters in conjunction with the study of the influence of masonry infills in the staging case on the seismic behaviour of a typical Intze tank. It was found that using masonry infill panel, the joint displacement was reduced to a great extent, but the base shear was increased. At last, the seismic vulnerability of each model undertaken in the study was discussed in light of their performance against lateral loads.