The rocking motion of tanks due to earthquakes causes the uplift and partial deformation of the tank bottom plate that has been considered to contribute to damage of various tanks.
For analyzing the uplift displacement of the tank bottom plate numerically and precisely, this paper develops the analytical finite shell element, ring element and spring element partially attached to the ring element. These elements are defined as semi-analytical finite element models. Fourier series give their circumferential displacement function, while polynomial gives their radial displacement function.
Applicability of a set of these elements to analyze the shell deformation and contact between the tank bottom plate and the foundation subjected to ground acceleration induced loads is verified. For evaluating analytical accuracy of the proposed method, numerical results are compared with other numerical ones.
