Response of Cylindrical Storage Tank Foundation Resting on Tensionless Stone Column-Improved Soil.

In the present paper, the response of cylindrical storage tank foundation resting on stone column-reinforced ground has been studied considering the separation between the bottomraft and ground under liftoff condition. The bottomraft of the tank is idealized by a circular plate. The stone column-reinforced ground ismodeled as a tensionless foundation. Soft foundation soil and granular fill are idealized as a spring-dashpot element and Pasternak shear layer, respectively. Stone columns are modeled as stiff nonlinear springs. The stone columns are converted into equivalent concentric rings with one stone column at the center to simulate the axisymmetric condition for the analysis. The governing differential equations are derived fromthe classical theory of thin plate and solved using the finite-difference technique. A parametric study is performed to investigate the differences between the response of tensionless and conventional elastic foundation systems. It is observed that tensionless foundation idealization is essential to analyze the liftoff and avoid erroneous design of the raft for the cylindrical storage tank. Recommendations are also suggested to avoid possible liftoff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]