A Review on the Dynamic Response of Liquid-Storage Tanks Associated with Fluid-Structure Interaction

Water tanks are considered one of the most important facilities in firefighting systems and municipal water supply. These critical water storage and distribution facilities should remain operable even after a severe seismic event or sustain only damages that can be readily repaired. In recent years, the seismic design of storage tanks has been aimed at fulfilling safety requirements and the environmental impact on society. This paper provides a review of research work related to seismic response of liquid-filled tanks. Major contribution from previous research works related to dynamic behavior of liquid tanks are acknowledged in this review. This paper encompasses the phenomenon of fluid-structure interaction and reviews several equivalent mechanical models for liquid storage tanks that account for this phenomenon. The application of each modeling approach and its accuracy in accounting for the fluid-structure interaction are discussed based on available literature and applicable international standards. It was shown that different equivalent modeling approaches that consider the fluid-structure interaction effects can be used to reduce the computational cost and complexity of liquid-tank systems.