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Finite Element Analysis of Fully Buried

Underground Water Tank by SAP2000
WORKING PAPER DECEMBER 2015

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4 AUTHORS, INCLUDING:
Debojit Sarker
Bangladesh University of Engineering and
12 PUBLICATIONS 3 CITATIONS
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Available from: Debojit Sarker

Retrieved on: 20 January 2016

Paper ID: 114

11th Global Engineering, Science and Technology Conference
18-19 December 2015, BIAM Foundation,
63 Eskaton, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Finite Element Analysis of Fully Buried Underground

Water Tank by SAP2000

1
2
Mohammad Ishtiaque Iqbal
, Mohammed Raihanul Alam Chowdhury
,
3
4
Debojit Sarker , and Dr. A.M.M. Taufiqul Anwar

Abstract
Underground water tank is defined as any one or a combination of tanks
that have 10% or more of their volume below the surface of the ground in
which they are installed. There are usually many environmental regulations
applied to the design and operation of storage tanks, often depending on
the nature of the fluid contained within. From PCA regulation it is known
that underground water tank has different support conditions, as like hinged
top and hinged base or free top and hinged base or free top and fixed base
or hinged top and fixed base. Storage tank has two types of loading
conditions, triangular and rectangular. The study is an analysis for free top
and fixed base support condition and triangular loading from soil outside the
tank and water inside the tank. This study also investigates the influence of
design parameters on response of underground water tank. Structural
parameters are taken as length-height ratio, width-height ratio, wall
thickness of water tank and soil density. The response characteristics are
maximum horizontal and vertical moments for long wall and short wall.
Underground water tank response has been evaluated by Finite Element
Method (FEM) using powerful package software SAP2000 analysis. Series
of underground water tank with different parameters varying over a range
were selected for analysis. Analyses of the model were conducted by
varying only one parameter at a time within specific range as well as
1

Mohammad Ishtiaque Iqbal, Civil Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and

Technology, +8801912956402, ishtiaque.ce@gmail.com
2

Mohammed Raihanul Alam Chowdhury, Civil Engineering, Bangladesh University of

Engineering and Technology, +8801713369186, raihanul.alam.08@gmail.com

Debojit Sarker, Civil Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology,

+8801712499987, debojit.sarker.buet@gmail.com

Dr. A.M.M. Taufiqul Anwar, Professor, Civil Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering
and Technology, +8801711703308, tanwar@ce.buet.ac.bd

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keeping other parameters at their reference values. The response

characteristics are evaluated to understand the structural behavior of the
system. The results are plotted against the varying structural parameters
and presented in graphical form.

Field of Research: Underground Water Tank; Parametric Study; FEM;

SAP2000; Length to Height Ratio; Width to Height Ratio; Wall Thickness;
Saturated Soil Density.

1.

Introduction

The purpose of the present research is a parametric study of underground water

tank. Few researches are done on this topic. So, this topic deserves proper
attention. In treatment plants concrete made underground reservoirs are in
extensive practice, as it provides large capacity. Different models are analyzed
for values shifting over a specified region of required variables. Structural
engineers who use spread sheet to do their own calculations or design manually
need a complete design aid for scrupulous estimation. Computer program aided
design can be checked using design charts and graphs to eliminate error thus
ensuring safety of structure. Structural engineers interested in this type of topic
can make further analysis for their models and develop graphs for a wide range
of variables. The problems created by latest and modern design have to be faced
by us. The topic undertaken for research here in relatively new in this area is of
practical significance and deserves due attention.

2.

Objective

The primary objective is to develop graphs for underground water tank in

accordance with the variation of different parameters. The detailed objective of
the study is to develop models of underground water tank (fully buried) for
analysis using SAP2000, and to conduct an extensive parametric study.

3.

Methodology

The influence of various parameters on underground water tank is investigated in

this study. Analyses of different models with respect to different structural
parameters are done. The analysis is carried out by Finite Element Method using
SAP2000v14.2.0. When the effect of a structural parameter is to be studied,
different models are made with different values of that parameter. All other
parameters are kept at their reference values to analyze the model. In the same
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way, study on the effect of other parameters is also conducted. Moments and
shear calculated at different location of the model for different values of
parameters. Effects of Moment and shear for different parameter on the models
are presented graphically.

4.
Selection of Underground Water Tank Design Parameter
for Analysis
A simple model of underground water tank is selected for analysis. Support
condition of this model is selected fixed base and free top according to case-7 of
Rectangular Concrete Tanks, Revised fifth edition by Javeed A. Munshi, PCA
publication. This model will be analyzed for different parameters in
SAP2000v14.2.0. For all the models that will be analyzed for varying parameters,
maximum moment along X-axis and Z-axis for long wall, maximum moment
along X-axis and Z-axis for short wall will be calculated and finally the effect of
the parameters on the mentioned responses of the underground water tank will
be set out.
Since completely general and variable structure cannot be used for analysis, a
reference structure is used. For each structural parameter to be analyzed,
different models are made with different values of that parameter varying within a
selected range while all other parameters of the structure are kept fixed at their
reference values. The reference values of different parameters for the reference
underground water tank to be analyzed are in Table 01.
Table 01: Reference values of selected parameters for Underground Water Tank.
Parameters

Reference Value

Tank height (a), ft

10

Tank length (b), ft

30

Tank width (c), ft

20

b/a ratio

c/a ratio

Wall thickness, inch

18

Concrete Grade, ksi

Reinforcement Grade, ksi

60

Saturated Soil density, psf

100

Uniform Live Load, psf

100

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Water density, psf

70

The loading and support conditions are given below (ACI Committee 350, 1995):
Dead load: Self weight of the walls and top and bottom slab.
Live load: Uniformly distributed load on top slab.
Leakage test prior to backfilling (D1).
Backfill prior to adding tank cover (D2).
Tank full with cover in place. Resistance provided by the soil is ignored.
Buoyancy forces.
Fixed base, free top.
Triangular lateral load.

Material Properties are given in Table 02. The 3D models have been analyzed for
variable parameters. For each parameter, variation within a range is done, while
keeping other parameters fixed at their reference values. The ranges of
variations of different parameters are shown in Table 03.

Table 02: Material properties (ACI Committee 318, 1995)

Modulus of elasticity

5.191 * 1008 psf

Poisons ratio

0.2

Unit weight of concrete

150 psf

Coefficient of thermal
expansion

5.5 * 10-06

Shear modulus

2.163 * 1008 psf

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Table 03: Ranges of parameters for Underground Water Tank.

Parameters
Tank height (a), ft

Variable value
10

Reference value
10

Tank length (b), ft

30, 40, 50, 60

30

Tank width (c), ft

5, 10, 15, 20

20

b/a ratio

3, 4, 5, 6

c/a ratio

0.5, 1, 1.5, 2

Wall thickness, inch

12, 15, 18, 21, 24

18

Concrete Grade, ksi

3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5

Reinforcement
Grade, ksi

60

60

100, 115, 128, 134,

140

100

Uniform Live Load,

psf

100

100

Water density, psf

70

70

Saturated
density, pcf

Soil

Table 04: Saturated soil density of different soil (Bowles, 1988)

Type of
soil
Gravel

Ysat
(KN/m3)
21

Ysat(lb/ft3)

Sand

18

115

Silt

20

128

Clay

22

140

134

For the purpose of the study selected response characteristics are shown below:

Maximum vertical and horizontal moment of long wall

Maximum vertical and horizontal moment of short wall

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Maximum shear along X-axis and Z-axis of long wall

Maximum shear along X-axis and Z-axis of short wall

5.
Influence of Structural Parameters on Behavior of
Underground Water Tank
A series of curves are plotted using the results of the analysis. Variation of slab
behavior is plotted along Y-axis and variation of structure parameters is plotted
along X-axis.
The effects of the following parameters are included in the study:

Effect of wall thickness

Effect of Saturated Soil Density

Effect of Width(c)/Height(a) ratio

Effect of Length(b)/Height(a) ratio

The notations used in the graphical representations are:

M11 = Maximum Horizontal Bending Moment of wall of model (lb-ft/ft)
M22 = Maximum Vertical Bending Moment of wall of model (lb-ft/ft)
V13 = Maximum Shear along Y-axis of model (lb-/ft)
V23 = Maximum Shear along Z-axis of model (lb-/ft).

5.1

Effect of Thickness Variation on Walls

Figure 1. Effect of thickness variation Figure 2. Effect of thickness variation

on bending moment at long wall for on bending moment at short wall for
D1 and D2
D1 and D2

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Figure 3. Effect of thickness

variation on shear at long wall for
D1 and D2

5.2

Figure 4. Effect of thickness

variation on shear at short wall
for D1 and D2

Effect of Saturated Soil Density on Walls

Figure 5. Effect of saturated soil

density variation on bending
moment at long and short wall for
D2

Figure 6. Effect of saturated soil

density variation on shear at long and
short wall for D2

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5.3

Effect of Width(c)/Height(a) ratio on Walls

Figure 7. Effect of c/a ratio

variation on bending moment at
long wall for D1 and D2

Figure 9. Effect of c/a ratio variation

on shear at long wall for D1 and D2

5.4

Figure 8. Effect of c/a ratio variation

on bending moment at short wall for
D1 and D2

Figure 10. Effect of c/a ratio variation

on shear at short wall for D1 and D2

Effect of Length (b)/Height (a) ratio on Walls

Figure 11. Effect of b/a ratio

variation on bending moment at
long wall for D1 and D2

Figure 12. Effect of b/a ratio variation

on bending moment at short wall for
D1 and D2

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Figure 13. Effect of b/a ratio

variation on shear at long wall for
D1 and D2

6.

Figure 14. Effect of b/a ratio variation

on shear at short wall for D1 and D2

Result and Discussion:

Maximum moments and shear increase with thickness of wall except

maximum horizontal bending moment at short wall. For larger surface area,
long walls are subjected to bigger load than short wall and the load is
transferred to short wall through fixed connection between them. Thus short
wall experiences tension from both side and bending moment for lateral
pressure. As a result, short wall behaves differently.

Maximum moment and shear of all axes increase at the same ratio as soil
density increases. As the density increases from sand to clay, it may be
required more reinforcement in critical sections to resist the moment
produced.

Maximum vertical moment and shear at short wall decreases as c/a ratio
decreases.

Maximum moment and shear decreases as b/a ratio decreases to a certain

point except maximum horizontal bending moment at short wall continues
to decrease.

Only one support condition (fixed base, free top) was considered. Further
studies may cover other seven possible support condition containing
various combination of fixed and hinged base with free and hinged top.
Applying spring characteristics to the supports can explore different
simulation of practical situation.

Soil height was selected conservatively same as tank height. Effect of soil
height variation with the height of tank must be considered which has the
potential for providing more economical design guideline.

Material properties were kept constant. Different type of newly developed

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concrete such as- high density concrete could be selected as material for
technical advancement

7.

Graphical representation was done only for the selected range. Soil
parameters, loads and different grades for reinforcement should be
considered for more accuracy for the preparation of the design aid.

Conclusion

Maximum moments and shear increase with thickness of wall except

maximum horizontal bending moment at short wall.

Maximum moment and shear of all axes increase at the same ratio as soil
density increases

Maximum vertical moment and shear at short wall decreases as c/a ratio
decreases.

Values of shear decreases sharply as c/a ratio decreases.

Maximum design horizontal bending moment at short wall is developed for

c/a ratio 1.5.

Rates of change of both shear with the variation of c/a ratio to the reference
value are almost same.

Minimum design vertical moment at long wall and minimum design shear at
short wall is developed for b/a ratio 4.5 for both loading condition.

The results found by SAP analysis vary slightly than the values given at
PCA manual.

8.

References

[1]

PCA Publication, Rectangular Concrete Tank, Revised Fifth Edition by

Javeed A. Munshi

[2]

ACI Committee 350, Environmental Engineering Concrete Structures (ACI

350R -89), American Concrete Institute, Detroit, 1995.

[3]

ACI Committee 318, Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete

(ACI 318-95), American Concrete Institute, Farmiigton Hills, MI, 1995.

[4]

Bowles, J.E., Foundation Analysis and Design, 4th Ed., McGraw-Hill, Inc.,
NY, 1988.

[5]

Gupta, A.K., and Sen, S., Design of Flexural Reinforcement in Concrete

Slabs, Journal of the Structural Division, ASCE, Vol. 103, ST4, 1977, pp.
793-804.

Page 10

[6]

Hengst, R., Concrete Watertight Structures and Hazardous Liquid

Containment, ASCE Press, American Society of Civil Engineers, NY, 1994.

[7]

Iqbal, M. I., Chowdhury, R. A., A Parametric Study on Underground Water

Tank, UG Thesis, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology
(BUET), Dhaka, 2014.

[8]

Moody, W.T., Moments and Reactions for Rectangular Plates, United

States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver; 1960, 74
pages.

[9]

Szilard, R., Theory and Analysis of Plates-Classical and Numerical

Methods, Civil Engg. and Engg. Mechanics Series, Prentice Hall, Inc., NJ,
1974.

[10] SAP90 - A Series of Computer Programs for the Finite Element Analysis of
Structures, Computers and Structures, Inc., Berkeley, CA, I992.

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