3 replies to this topic

[Vignesh S]

How can I decide Tank height with respect to the soil load bearing capacity?
Is there any specification for it?

Thanks
Vignesh.

[kkala]

This is an issue rather for civil than chemical engineers. Tanks and spheres, locally considered in some detail, were based on a concrete ring. Ring thickness is specified in WWW, see http://synclaire.net/blog/2008/06/ring-wall-foundation-calculation-for-oil-storage-tank-above-ground/, (also look at relevant notes after text of web reference).
http://www.cheresour...um-storage-tank supplies general info, where influence of foundations is reported but not quantitatively.
Look at http://boonchoo.org/...oundations.pdf . Appendix 1 is understood to indicate that one can increase the area of lower base of granular fill pad foundation, to account (at least to some extent) for low soil bearing capacity. But can this extra capital cost be justified? Tank foundations get more and more costly, as tank gets higher and higher.
A note: a local alumina plant layout was shifted (1988), due to the requirement that precipitator tanks (height about 30 m) have foundations on rock. Directly on rock, piles were understood to be out of discussion in that case.
Hopefully above helps a bit, yet knowledgeable members can give more specific data on the issue.

Edited by kkala, 16 May 2012 - 11:16 AM.

[ankur2061]

Vignesh,

Large petroleum storage tanks are not very tall. The Length-to-Diameter Ratio for very large capacity tanks could be as low as 0.2 to 0.3.

Poor soil characteristics can be improved to increase their load bearing capacity. According to Bob Long's "Guide To Storage Tanks and Equipment" soil improvement is possible by the following means:

- Removal and replacement of unsatisfactory material by suitable compacted fill
- lmprovement of the soft or loose material by vibration, dynamic compaction or pre-loading with an overburden of other material
- Sub-soil drainage with or without pre-loading
- Stabilization by chemical grout injection
- Provision of a reinforced concrete raft with or without supporting piles

The design, specification and undertaking of these forms of foundation improvement should be left to specialists in this type of work.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Ankur.

Edited by ankur2061, 16 May 2012 - 02:59 PM.

[Vignesh S]

Thank you very much. Thanks for your replies.

With Best Regards,
VignesH.