Evaluation of the Anchor-Bolt Chair Design Considering Localized Stresses in the Shell of Anchored Storage Tanks

Anchor bolt chairs are structural attachments used to control the overturning stability of aboveground storage tanks subjected to external and internal forces. Throughout this investigation three different design procedures were evaluated in order to determine the localized stresses occurring in the shell above the chairs due to wind load. The implemented methods are based on mathematical equations, stress linearization and stress extrapolation. Moreover, 3D finite element models were built to estimate the effect of tank height, diameter, shell thickness and anchor chair height. The results of the three methods are compared in terms of the localized stresses obtained from each one as well as in terms of the utilization ratio of the shell material.