CRACKING in cylindrical tanks resisting ring tension

[jhobbs]

Cracking in cylindrical liquid retaining structures.

Hi can anyone assist me with this, when a circular reservoir is designed to resist ring tension you will get cracking from the ring tension and thermal effects. As both these cracks are vertical, you would expect the crack from thermal effects to occur shortly after construction. The crack from loading will occur some time later only when the structure is filled with fluid. The guidance I have been given is that 2 types of cracking would occur independently i.e. they will be 2 separate cracks. Rationalizing it though if the crack has already occurred from thermal effects, would the crack from loading merely cause the crack from thermal effects to widen.

Comments would be appreciated.

Thanks,

 

[Ron]

Yes. Unless you have some oddball reinforcing configuration, one crack at each stress buildup, regardless of the source. Once initial relief occurs, the next buildup location will prevail. Both are tension and stress is stress!