9 Engineering and Technology Journal for Research and Innovation (ETJRI)

ISSN 2581-8678, Volume IV, Issue II, Jun 2022

Seismic Analysis of Existing Underground Water Tank

Using ETABS
Vaibhav Singh1*, Vimal Kumar Gupta2, Sachin Tiwari3
1*
Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Shri Vaishnav Vidyapeeth Vishwavidyalaya, Gram
Baroli, [email protected]
2
Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Amity University Madhya Pradesh, Gwalior
[email protected]
3
Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Amity University Madhya Pradesh, Gwalior
[email protected]

Abstract - The design principles specify high applied to the tank walls. Due to the
serviceability criteria with strong water general interaction term between the
tightness and fracture prevention criteria to flexible structure and the liquid, the
reduce leakage and deterioration of reinforcing
hydrodynamic stress in a flexible tank can
steel. Considering these strict restraints,
additional emphasis is placed on accurately
be substantially higher than in a rigid
estimating the governing design forces in order container during seismic excitation. [1-3].
to meet both economic and workability The hydrodynamic pressure of an
requirements. There have been few studies on earthquake is often separated into
seismic analysis of underground water tanks impulsive and convective components.
with dynamic forces. The goal of this research is The impulsive component is caused by the
to understand the response of an underground tank wall interaction with the liquid and is
water tank that has been subjected to seismic highly dependent on the wall flexibility,
loads by comparing the output data. Existing
whereas the convective component is
underground water tanks have been used in the
study, and finite element modelling of the same
produced by the slosh wave. [4]. The
tank was performed in ETABS17 for soil dynamic strain on a tank structure caused
conditions according to IS 1893 Part-2-2014. by fluid displacement inside a tank with a
restricted free surface is referred to as
Keywords –Dynamic Pressure, Design Seismic Forces, sloshing.IS 1893 -Part 2-2014 suggested
Seismic Response, Underground Water Tank
performing seismic analysis of
I. INTRODUCTION underground water tank as technique
supplied for on ground water tank using
Underground water tanks (UGT) are used dynamic soil coefficient for earth pressure;
to store liquids (water, oil, gas, etc.). Walls however, the procedure to compute
of underground water tank are to water dynamic soil coefficient is not given in the
pressure from inside and soil pressure from IS code.
outside. The bottom of the tank is subject The present study aims at understanding
to internal water pressure and soil the behaviour of an underground water
reactions from underneath. These tanks tank subjected to earthquake loads and
should be designed for a worst loading compare the output results to understand
scenario. Underground tanks have the its behaviour. The specific objective of this
same design and operational principles as study is to calculate seismic load acting on
tanks that are resting on the ground. underground water tank as per Indian
Concrete liquid-containing structures are Standard Codes and investigate effect of
recognized as important utilities during seismic loading for underground water
earthquakes. Seismic ground tank.
motion causes varied loading conditions in
water storage tanks. In addition to the
inertial force caused by the weight of the
tank walls, hydrodynamic stresses are
10 Engineering and Technology Journal for Research and Innovation (ETJRI)
ISSN 2581-8678, Volume IV, Issue II, Jun 2022

II. MODELLING IN ETABS

Existing water tank situated at Sanwer,
Indore (M.P.) is taken for the study.
Length and width of underground water
tank is 9 m and 4 m respectively Height of
tank is 3 m including free board. The
thickness of outer and partition wall of
tank is 250 mm and 300 mm respectively.
The thickness of the bottom slab is 300
mm.

Fig.3. UGT modelling in ETABS

III. LOADING CONDITIONS
Internal water pressure and external soil
pressure are two of the most essential
loads for which UGT is designed and
tested. In ETABS, both water and soil
pressure are given as non-uniform shell
pressures on the walls of UGT.

Fig.1. Impulsive and Convective Zone in UGT

Fig.4. Water Pressure distribution on Tank Walls

Fig.2. Existing Underground Water Tank (UGT)

Fig.5. Earth Pressure distribution on Tank Walls

11 Engineering and Technology Journal for Research and Innovation (ETJRI)
ISSN 2581-8678, Volume IV, Issue II, Jun 2022

IV. SEISMIC LOADING

In addition to hydrostatic forces,
earthquake-induced hydrodynamic forces
on tank walls should be considered.
Hydrodynamic forces on UGTs can be
estimated using the same approach as that
on ground tanks, according to IS 1893-
Part 2-2014 [5]. Dynamic pressure on
soil must be estimated in UGT. Seismic
zone-3 has been used for earthquake
analysis in this study due to the location of
UGT. In both the X and Y directions,
seismic forces in terms of base Fig.8. Dynamic Earth Pressure distribution on UGT
shear, moment at base of wall, and Walls
hydrodynamic pressure on wall in both V. RESULT AND DISCUSSIONS
impulsive and convective modes were
calculated using an Excel sheet. A. Local Axis for Elements

In ETABS global axes X, Y and Z are used

to model and define modelling properties
but for defining loads on shells and
understanding the results of shell elements
local axes 1,2 and 3 has been used. For
result tabulation vertical moment,
horizontal moment and shear forces are
studied for UGT wall. In Case of base slab
Moment along shorter and longer span has
been studied.

Fig.6. Hydro-dynamic Pressure (HDP) distribution

on UGT Walls in X – direction

Fig.9. Direction of Moments for UGT Walls

Fig.7. Hydro-dynamic Pressure (HDP) distribution
on UGT Walls in Y – direction
12 Engineering and Technology Journal for Research and Innovation (ETJRI)
ISSN 2581-8678, Volume IV, Issue II, Jun 2022

B. Design forces for wall along X and

Wall Moment along Y- Direction
Y direction
80
The bending moments developed in the
tank wall along X and Y direction under 70
the gravity and seismic loading are shown 60

Moment (kN-m)
in figure 10 and 11. Moments at the base 50
of the wall when seismic forces are taken
40
into account are greater than the equivalent
moments when seismic forces are not 30
taken into account.. On shorter wall i.e., 20
along Y direction, design forces increase 10
by 150%. As wall along Y are affected by
0
seismic forces in X direction which have Vertical Horizontal
less intensity as compared to Y direction Moment (M-22) Moment (M-11)
seismic forces. Due to which design forces
do not increase like X direction. UGT with Seismic Loads
UGT without Seismic Loads

Wall Moment along X- Direction Fig.11. Vertical and Horizontal Moments for Walls
in Y- direction

80 Wall thickness of tank wall governs the

70 shear forces criteria. For existing tank, 250
60 mm wall thickness can only resist up to 65
Moment (kN-m)

50 kN intensity shear force. On considering

40
seismic forces shear forces increased by
170% as shown in figure 12, which might
30
be leads to failure of wall thickness.
20
10 C. Design Moments at Base Slab
0
Vertical Horizontal
Moment (M-22) Moment (M-11) When seismic loads are considered in
relation to soil conditions, the bending
UGT with Seismic Loads moments in the base slab caused by
UGT without Seismic Loads seismic forces are greater than those
Fig.10. Vertical and Horizontal Moments for Walls
caused by non-seismic forces. Although in
in X- direction case of horizontal M11 moment the change
on moment is not significant.
13 Engineering and Technology Journal for Research and Innovation (ETJRI)
ISSN 2581-8678, Volume IV, Issue II, Jun 2022

design forces using excel sheet for both X

Shear Force on Walls
and Y direction.
The following conclusions can be taken
200 from the present research.
1. According to the findings, seismic
Shear Force (kN)

150
forces should be accounted for
100 underground water tanks in all
earthquake zones.
50 2. When seismic forces are
considered, the moments at the
0 base of the walls along both X and
Shear Force Shear Force
along X - along Y - Y direction exceeds the moments
Direction Direction in the existing tank walls. Even
though soil conditions have little
UGT without Sesimic Loads
bearing on design force.
UGT with Sesimic Loads 3. Shear forces govern the thickness
Fig.12. Shear Force on Walls of wall, and when seismic forces
hac been considered, shear forces
Moments on Base Slab increase, and which results into a
redesign the thickness of walls.

80 REFERENCES
70 [1]. Abdul Muttalib I. Said, “Seismic Analysis
60 of Liquid Storage Tank”, JoE, vol 17, pp.
610-619, 2011.
50 [2]. Indrajit Chowdhury, Jitendra P Singh, S.P.
Moment (kN-m)

Dasgupta, “Dynamic response of partially

40
embedded cylindrical structure under
30 seismic force, considering foundation
20 compliance”, 22nd Conf. on SMRT, San
Francisco, USA, 2013.
10 [3]. Saman Qatari, Mehdi Jahangiri-
0
Darzekonani, Kambiz Ghavimi, “An
Moment (M-22) Moment (M-11) assessment of dynamic pressure in buried
tanks subjected to seismic loadings”,
JoVE, vol 16, pp 1097 – 1105,2016.
UGT without Seismic Loads
[4]. Suraj Tripathi, Annu Dubey, Madan
UGT with Seismic Loads Chand Maurya, “Time History Analysis of
Underground Water Tank for Different
Fig.13. Moments on Base Slab
Seismic Intensity”, IJoSR, Vol. 9, pp 963-
967, 2020.
VI. CONCLUSION [5]. Merrick Taylor, “Seismic earth pressures
– a technical note”, SECED, vol 21, pp 4-
Traditionally as mentioned in IS1893 Part- 13, 2009.
2-2014, seismic design of underground [6]. IS 1893 – Part - 1, “Criteria for earthquake
water tank should be conducted as per the resistant design of structures-general
procedure given for on ground tank, but provisions and buildings”, Bureau of
Indian standards, New Delhi, 2016.
due to lack of information regarding [7]. IS 1893 – Part - 2, “Criteria for earthquake
dynamic soil coefficient, seismic analysis resistant design of structures-Liquid
of UGT neglected by designer. ETABS Retaining Tanks”, Bureau of Indian
was used to perform a three-dimensional standards, New Delhi, 2014.
finite element analysis. IS1893-Part 2- [8]. IS: 3370 – Part- 1, “Concrete Structures
for Retaining Aqueous Liquids — Code of
2014 is used to calculate the Seismic
14 Engineering and Technology Journal for Research and Innovation (ETJRI)
ISSN 2581-8678, Volume IV, Issue II, Jun 2022

Practice (Second Revision)”, Bureau of

Indian Standards, New Delhi, 2021.
[9]. IS: 3370 – Part- 2, Concrete Structures for
Retaining Aqueous Liquids — Code of
Practice (Second Revision)”, Bureau of
Indian Standards, New Delhi, 2021.
[10]. Guidelines for Seismic Design of
Liquid Storage Tanks, National
Information Centre of Earthquake
Engineering, 2007.