Effect of Fluid Level on Thermal Buckling Behavior of Different Reinforced Water Storage Tanks Adjacent to Pool Fire

Water storage tanks are an indispensable part of firefighting equipment that must be properly designed and manufactured so that they can function properly in forests, factories, and residential complexes. Water containers are highly susceptible to buckling due to their low thickness-to-diameter ratio. Hence, in the case of an adjacent fire, heat can lead to buckling and eventually destroy the reservoir. In this study, the buckling behavior of water storage tanks in the vicinity of pool fire has been investigated. Geometrically and Materially Non-linear Analysis (GMNA) has been used in this research by applying the Arc-length method in Abaqus. The water level in the tank strongly influenced the critical buckling temperature as well as the buckling mode shapes of the structure. Therefore, to prevent the early destruction of the storage tanks, two kinds of horizontal and vertical stiffeners have been applied. Also, experimental data from previous research have been used to validate the numerical analysis. The results showed that significant temperature variations occur at the fluid surface resulting in buckling above the liquid level. Accordingly, the critical buckling temperature of the semi-full tank was 3.5 times larger than the empty tank. Furthermore, horizontal stiffeners were observed to be more effective than vertical ones because of the shape of the buckling modes of each case.