Tank Roof Loading

[butelja]

Is anyone aware of an analytical (non-FEA) solution of how to calculate the allowable forces and or moments that can be imposed on a roof manway of an API 650 oil storage tank?  The roof is a self supporting cone design, and the manway is not located in the center of the roof.  I think the failure mechanism would be local buckling of the roof plates, due to the compressive loading, large (local) radius of curvature, and thinness of the roof plates.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  I’d even settle for the double infinite Fourier series type of solution that is common in analytical plate/shell mechanics.

 

[Anthonyr]

Try using one of the calculation methods in "Formulas for Stress and Strain" by Roark. You might be able to equate your problem to one of the cases in this book.

 

[johnp]

See my notes in the Piping section, where the same question has been raised.
See also comments in this Mechanical Engineering section under ESWAR - Nozzle loads & moments on pressure vessels (posted 6/16). Nozzle design information contained in the Welding Research document WRC 107 should help.