Structural Data Analysis for Monitoring the Deformation of Oil Storage Tanks Using Geodetic Techniques

Abstract

The existence of circular tanks is a present reality in the modern day industry. These structures can play various types of functions for the storage of a wide range of products, such as liquids, gases, oil wastewater, and granular solids. Safety concepts form the basis of any structure design and assessment code. Detailed information about the structural deformation can help to determine the health of structures as well as to evaluate whether such deformation is the same as what the structure was designed to tolerate. The main purpose of a structural deformation monitoring scheme and analysis of cylindrical oil storage tanks is to detect any significant movements or displacements of these structures. An effective approach is to model the circular tank by using well-chosen discrete points located on the surface of the tank which, when situated correctly, accurately depict the characteristics of this tank. It can then be said that any movements of those points represent deformations of the object. This paper outlines the procedure of a geodetic monitoring system of circular oil storage tanks and presents an analysis of the observations to determine the values of their deformation. A methodology for structural data analysis of monitoring the structural deformation of circular oil storage tanks is also presented. This paper also presents a method for determining the distortion of a circular cross section of a tank by determining the radius and coordinates of the center of this section using a least-squares adjustment technique.