Investigation of Structural Behavior of Cylindrical Steel Silos Reinforced with Stiffening Plates

Abstract

Silos are slender structures with thin sections that can react differently according to the fullness ratios against any impact that may come from inside or outside. Silo structures can be manufactured in a variety of materials and sizes for different storage needs. In large diameter silos, most of the weight of the structure is the stored material. The load carrying system stands out with its dimensions rather than its weight. Considering the dimensional parameters of large diameter silos, external factors, such as wind affects the structure highly. On the other hand, the type and characteristics of the stored material changes the internal loading conditions drastically. One of the main problems of these situations is the sloshing, which is a dynamic load that can occur in fluid storage. In this paper, cylindrical steel liquid storage silos are discussed. Twelve numerical models with different plate combinations created for three different diameter sizes are created with the consideration of same amount of stored liquid and silo height for all models. Created models are analyzed under dynamic and static loads. The results of the analysis are examined comparatively, and the variation of plate efficiency between combinations and diameter differences are interpreted. From the analysis results, it has been determined that the effectiveness of the stiffening plates is in dimensional relation with the silo diameter. In conclusion, it is suggested that altering the plate dimensions (size and thickness) along with the silo diameter will contribute to the rigidity of the structure.