A case study for sloshing phenomenon in a cylindrical tank under seismic events: numerical modeling and comparison with current regulations

The collapse of tanks used for the storage of fluids is an issue of particular interest from the engineering point of view. A correct design of this type of structures requires to know in detail the hydrodynamic actions exerted by the fluid on the tank: to this aim, mathematical models able to correctly describe the sloshing of the fluid and the related effects have been developed in the past century. In the present work the actions on a circular tank have been evaluated and then compared following the Eurocode 8 procedures and by developing finite elements models and numerical analyses in the Abaqus SW environment, based on appropriately modified properties of the fluid, 3D elements and the use of an adaptive meshing technique which allows to effectively model the sloshing phenomenon.