Liquid storage tanks are a crucial type of structures. They are used to store various types of liquids and liquefied gases in different situations. In seismic regions, functionality of these structures after severe earthquakes is an important factor in their design. In earthquake-prone regions, the sloshing phenomena has an important role in the design procedure. Current design codes and guidelines (e.g. ACI 350.3 and ASCE 7) are based on analytical studies that in some cases can be inaccurate in prediction of forces and pressures. Since a long time ago scientists have studied the sloshing phenomena in liquid storage tanks with different methods including analytical, numerical and experimental studies. In the current study, rectangular ground-supported tanks are studied and the effect of seismic loading on them is investigated both experimentally and numerically. For the experimental tests, the tanks were placed on a shaking table and using high-speed HD cameras, tests were filmed and later analyzed frame by frame to capture the critical moments. To investigate the bi-lateral effect of base excitation on the tanks, they were oriented on the table with four different angles. In the numerical study, a computational fluid dynamics tool - OpenFOAM - was used to simulate the tank motion and finally the results were compared with the experiment in order to develop a reliable model.

Liquid Storage Tanks (LSTs) are essential infrastructure systems that are used in various municipal and industrial settings. They play a critical role in storing and transporting liquids such as drinking water, oil, and gas that are used in daily life. Failure of these structures due to their poor seismic performance can have devastating consequences including the release of the stored liquid and damage to the surrounding area with potentially irreversible environmental impacts. In addition, the damage caused to the tank structure can be extensive, resulting in significant financial losses. Furthermore, the disruption of services provided by the tank such as water supply, oil and gas storage can be considerable. It is therefore crucial to study the seismic behaviour of these structures and ensure their safety and reliability to minimize the potential damages. The aim of this study is to investigate the behavior of LSTs in terms of the contained liquid, the tank’s structure, and its supports when subjected to seismic excitations. To obtain accurate results, different numerical techniques are applied in different phases of the study, including the Finite Volume Method (FVM), Finite Elements Method (FEM), Volume of Fluids (VoF) method, and Smoothed Particles Hydrodynamic (SPH) method. These techniques allow for a detailed analysis of the behavior of the tank and its supports during seismic excitation, providing a comprehensive understanding of the performance of LSTs during earthquakes. In order to examine the reliability and accuracy of the numerical model, the first part of the study includes the validation of the developed numerical model through comparison of the model and experimental results. The validated numerical model is then used to obtain the hydrodynamic pressures at different locations on the roof of tanks subjected to base excitations. The effect of liquid impact and hydrodynamic pressures on the roof of LSTs can be significant, however, limited studies have been completed on this issue. In the second part of the study, Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques such as Genetic Programming are used to formulate these pressure values so that the maximum pressure can be obtained using the tank characteristics such as size and fill depth by the relationship obtained based on the AI approach. In the third part of the study, the supporting structures of LSTs subjected to base excitations are analyzed, and their shear forces are extracted and compared with the National Building Code of Canada (NBC 2020) in order to evaluate the reliability of the code and discuss possible improvements. The results of this study can be used to evaluate and make improvements in standards and guidelines for the seismic design of LSTs, which can help ensure the safety and reliability of these crucial infrastructures during seismic events.