Seismic Analysis of Base-Isolated Liquid Storage Tank with Submerged Block

Abstract

The present study proposes the use of base isolation for liquid containers and its effectiveness is investigated numerically. The seismic response of partially filled ground-supported rectangular tank with the submerged block is carried out under real earthquake ground motion. Six different earthquake ground excitations are considered, which are characterized as low-, intermediate-, and high-frequency-content earthquakes. The liquid domain is discretized as eight-noded isoparametric finite elements. The effect of variable height submerged block on sloshing response in the partially filled rectangular tank is investigated. Also, the effectiveness of base isolation in tank–submerged block systems is studied. The results of the parametric study imply that the laminated rubber bearings minimize the sloshing characteristics and thus improve the stability of the tank.