Performance design criteria for concrete liquid containing structures

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Concrete liquid containing structures (CLCS) are considered as lifeline structures in which their use have become widespread in recent decades. Problems associated with liquid tanks involve many fundamental parameters. The dynamic behaviour of liquid tanks is governed by the interaction between fluid and structure as well as soil and structure along their boundaries. On the other hand, structural flexibility, tank configuration, and fluid properties are the factors which are of great importance in analyzing the tank behaviour. It has been found that hydrodynamic pressure in a flexible tank can be significantly higher than the corresponding rigid container. Currently, Canadian design standards do not directly address the structural design of these types of structures and this has led to inconsistency in design of such facilities. Also, many issues related to design of these structures have remained unresolved. There is a growing recognition of the importance of lifeline facilities and in particular CLCS and the need for substantial improvements in the design of such facilities. Careful design and detailing of such structures is necessary to meet the criteria for crack and leakage control. In recent years, the applicant has carried out extensive analytical and experimental studies on the behaviour of CLCS. The results have indicated that the current design approach do not represent the true behaviour of these types of structures. Also, there is a great deal of inconsistency among the design standards for this important broad class of structures. This is mainly due to the lack of understanding of the behaviour of these structures under static and seismic loading. The main objective of the proposed research study is to develop a rational design procedure, through analytical and experimental programs, for reinforced concrete tanks that assures a safe leak resistant structure. The concepts to water-tightness in liquid containing structures will be investigated. Segments from typical tank walls will be subjected to bi-axial static loading. The analytical study will be based on non-linear finite element method. Both rectangular and circular tanks of various dimensions will be considered in this study. It is intended to provide the necessary input for code decision making.