Tank construction

Abstract

An improved upstanding cylindrical tank is provided, in one aspect of the invention, with a ring-like stiffening member at its open upper end to resist flexure and deformation of the side wall structure under wind loading. The stiffening member has a cylindrical inner flange portion formed integrally with the tank wall, an annular web portion extending radially outward from an upper part of the upper flange portion, and a cylindrical outer flange portion depending from an outer part of the web portion and arranged concentrically with the inner flange portion. The stiffening member has a minimum vertical moment of inertia and is configured to have its vertical neutral axis located approximately midway between the furthermost fibers of the inner and outer flange portions. A tank is provided, in another aspect of the invention, with means for resisting an overturning moment which produces additional tensile forces in a leading portion of the wall structure and additional compressive forces in a trailing portion thereof. The resisting means are arranged near the bottom of the tank and include vertically-spaced upper and lower annular flanges extending radially outwardly from the side wall structure, and a plurality of circularly-spaced anchor bolts arranged to act on the upper flange to resist the additional tensile forces. The centroid of the polar moment of inertia of the resisting means is located equidistant from the furthermost fibers of the upper and lower flanges.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.