Structural design of rectangular tanks and applications

Abstract

The present article shows the analysis and design of some of the multiple applications of rectangular liquid holding tanks. The design of said rectangular tanks must guarantee, beyond adequate resistance, durability and impermeability for the correct functioning during its whole use.

For the analysis of the water tank’s walls, natural structural behavior based methodologies were used on the slabs, unidirectional and bidirectional, which depend on geometric properties and the sector’s support conditions (recessed, simply supported or the combination of the before mentioned) by the action of the charge caused by water bodies, terrain and live charges, which can be triangular or uniformly distributed.

When the case of unidirectional behavior presents itself, the analysis tends to be simple and accessible to any method of structural analysis. Nevertheless, in case of slabs that presents bidirectional behavior, its necessary to execute advanced math based analysis, which demands the use of tables that offer approximate results, for example Portland Cement Association tables, Bares tables, among others.

For the design of the rectangular tank’s walls it has been verified the correct functioning, guaranteeing primarily the impermeability, reason for which the specified design methodology of the ACI 350 [3], that considers three fundamental aspects: ultimate stage resistance design, durability and fissure control on service stage.

For better comprehension of the previous statements, a design for a ground supported reservoir will be developed.