Flexible Shear Pad for Storage Tank Sliding Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional storage tanks face challenges in minimizing lateral or rotational movement due to lateral forces from differential backfilling and earthquakes, leading to increased costs with existing shear pad solutions that stiffen the tank structure, making monolithic designs uncompetitive.
Innovation Solution
A flexible shear pad attached to the tank with elongated flexible connecting elements, such as steel cables coated with corrosion-resistant materials, allows for relative movement between the shear pad and the tank, minimizing moment transfer and maintaining calculated moments without the need for thicker walls or non-monolithic joints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a conventional shear pad is used to resist lateral forces from differential backfilling, then sliding resistance is improved, but the tank structure becomes stiffer resulting in increased moment transfer to the wall requiring thicker walls and more reinforcing steel
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the connection parameter from rigid to flexible by using a flexible connection element (such as a hinge or pinned connection) between the shear pad and the tank wall. This allows the shear pad to provide sliding resistance through friction while minimizing moment transfer to the wall, thereby avoiding the need for thicker walls and additional reinforcing steel.
2Ease of manufacture
If a monolithic tank design is used, then construction cost is reduced, but the tank structure becomes stiffer resulting in greater moment distribution to the wall when subjected to lateral forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the connection parameter at the wall-floorslab interface by introducing a flexible connection element. This allows the monolithic design to be maintained for construction simplicity while the flexible connection minimizes moment transfer to the wall when lateral forces are applied, effectively decoupling the cost benefit of monolithic construction from the structural disadvantage of increased wall moments.
3Strength
If the shear pad is rigidly connected to the tank wall, then structural integrity is improved, but lateral force resistance becomes less efficient due to increased moment transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a flexible connection element as an intermediary between the shear pad and the tank wall. This intermediary component maintains structural integrity by physically connecting the shear pad to the wall while allowing relative movement that minimizes moment transfer, thereby improving lateral force resistance efficiency without compromising structural strength.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides an economical storage tank design that effectively resists sliding and lateral forces during differential backfilling and earthquakes, maintaining structural integrity while reducing construction costs by minimizing moment transfer and allowing for flexible movement.
Implementation Method 1
elongated flexible connecting elements, such as steel cables coated with corrosion-resistant materials, allows for relative movement between the shear pad and the tank, minimizing moment transfer
Implementation Method 2
steel cables coated with corrosion-resistant materials
Data Source
AI summary
A concrete storage tank structure comprises a tank including a floor slab having a periphery and a wall having inner and outer faces extending upwardly from the floor slab at a position adjacent the periphery of the latter. The tank structure further includes a shear pad extending outwardly away from the tank from a position adjacent a lower portion of the outer face of the wall. The shear pad and the tank are positioned relative to one another in such a way that a space is provided therebetween and a number of elongated flexible connecting elements are arranged so as to extend through the space in interconnecting relationship relative to the shear pad and the tank. A strip of resilient neoprene elastomeric material is disposed in the space. The shear pad is thus flexibly attached to the tank in such a way that the forces imposed on the wall of the tank by the shear pad during movement of the tank during use are minimized.