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Research Paper

Nonlinear Seismic Response Analysis of Cylindrical Liquid Storage Tanks on Flexible Soil Considering Base Uplift

유연한 지반에 놓인 원통형 액체저장탱크의 바닥 들림을 고려한 비선형 지진응답해석

Lee Jin Ho1
,
Dong Sop Rhee2
,
Jeong-Rae Cho3*
이 진호1
,
이 동섭2
,
조 정래3*
1Professor, Department of Ocean Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan, 48513, Korea
2Research Fellow, Department of Hydro Science and Engineering Research, Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, Goyang, 10223, Korea
3Senior Research Fellow, Department of Structural Engineering Research, Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, Goyang, 10223, Korea
1부경대학교 해양공학과 교수
2한국건설기술연구원 수자원하천연구본부 연구위원
3한국건설기술연구원 구조연구본부 선임연구위원
*Corresponding Author
28 February 2026. pp. 25-32
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Abstract

This study develops a finite element analysis framework to rigorously evaluate the nonlinear seismic response of unanchored cylindrical liquid storage tanks resting on flexible soil, with explicit consideration of base uplift. Soil-structure interaction forces, including energy radiation into the infinite soil domain, and hydrodynamic forces generated by the stored liquid are coupled within a nonlinear finite element model of the tank, accounting for both material and geometric nonlinearities. Base uplift is simulated using nonlinear spring elements with negligible tensile stiffness. The proposed model is employed to accurately compute the seismic response of liquid storage tanks subjected to earthquake ground motion. The results indicate that consideration of material and geometric nonlinearities significantly increases stresses in the tank wall, resulting in enhanced plastic response. However, when base uplift is included, the base plate is allowed to uplift freely, which reduces structural stresses and plastic deformation. These findings demonstrate that accurate seismic response evaluation of fluid-structure-soil interaction systems that are not fully anchored to the ground requires rigorous consideration of boundary nonlinearities, such as separation at the soil-structure contact interface, in addition to material and geometric nonlinear behavior.

Keywords
fluid-structure-soil interaction
liquid storage tank
base uplift
material nonlinearity
geometric nonlinearity
boundary nonlinearity

유연한 지반 위에 놓인 비정착식 원통형 액체저장탱크의 지진응답을 바닥판의 들림을 고려하여 산정하기 위한 유한요소 해석기법을 개발한다. 지반-구조물 상호작용력과 저장 액체 동수압력을 재료 및 기하 비선형 거동을 고려한 구조물의 비선형 유한요소 모형과 결합한다. 구조물과 지반 사이의 들림을 모사하기 위해 인장에 대해서는 강성을 무시할 수 있는 비선형 스프링 요소를 사용한다. 개발된 비선형 유한요소 모델을 사용하여 지진지반운동이 작용하는 액체저장탱크의 지진응답을 정밀히 산정한다. 구조물의 재료 및 기하 비선형 거동을 고려하면 구조물 벽체의 응력이 크게 증가하여 소성 응답이 증가하지만, 바닥 들림까지 고려하게 되면 구조물 바닥이 자유롭게 들리게 됨으로써 구조물의 응력과 소성 응답이 크게 감소하게 된다. 그러므로 구조물의 재료 및 기하 비선형 거동 뿐만이 아니라 구조물과 지반 접촉면의 분리(바닥 들림)와 같은 경계 비선형 거동을 엄밀히 고려하여 비정착 유체-구조물-지반 상호작용계의 지진응답을 정확히 산정해야 할 것이다.

키워드
유체-구조물-지반 상호작용
액체저장탱크
바닥 들림
재료 비선형
기하 비선형
경계 비선형
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Information
  • Publisher :Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
  • Publisher(Ko) :한국전산구조공학회
  • Journal Title :Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
  • Journal Title(Ko) :한국전산구조공학회 논문집
  • Volume : 39
  • No :1
  • Pages :25-32
  • Received Date : 2025-11-17
  • Revised Date : 2025-11-29
  • Accepted Date : 2025-12-02
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.7734/COSEIK.2026.39.1.25
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