Review of typical accidents with vertical cylindrical storage tanks during earthquake

Authors:  
Rubric:     Seismic safety and seismic isolation of buildings   
Annotation:
A significant quantity of vertical cylindrical storage tanks is being built in earthquake-prone regions. The present paper gives data on tank accidents as a result of seismic events of the 20th and 21st centuries and describes typical incidents and their scenarios during the earthquakes in Coaling (California, USA), Niigata, Tokachi-Oki and Tohoku (Japan), Emilia (northern Italy). During the research work, risk factors and typical consequences of accidents were analyzed for tanks of different sizes. Some recommendations for increasing seismic resistance of storage tanks are given as a result of the analysis.