Seismic Performance of Large Underground Water Tank Structures Considering Fluid–Structure Interaction

The widespread application of large underground water tank structures in urban areas necessitates reliable design guidelines to ensure their safety as critical infrastructure. This paper investigated the seismic response of large underground water tank structures considering fluid–structure interact...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Fengyuan Xu, Chengshun Xu, Mohamed Hesham El Naggar, Xiuli Du
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Buildings
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/15/2643
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849239785893265408
author Fengyuan Xu
Chengshun Xu
Mohamed Hesham El Naggar
Xiuli Du
author_facet Fengyuan Xu
Chengshun Xu
Mohamed Hesham El Naggar
Xiuli Du
author_sort Fengyuan Xu
collection DOAJ
description The widespread application of large underground water tank structures in urban areas necessitates reliable design guidelines to ensure their safety as critical infrastructure. This paper investigated the seismic response of large underground water tank structures considering fluid–structure interaction (FSI). Coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian (CEL) was employed to analyze the highly nonlinear FSI caused by intense fluid sloshing during earthquakes. The patterns of fluid sloshing amplitude observed from the finite element model were summarized based on analyses of fluid velocity, hydrodynamic stress components, and overall kinetic energy. In addition, the seismic response of the water tank structure was thoroughly assessed and compared with the simulation results of the empty tank structure. The results indicate that significant fluid sloshing occurs within the structure under seismic excitation. The amplitude of fluid sloshing increases horizontally from the center toward the edges of the structure, corresponding to higher hydrodynamic loads at the side area of the structure. By comparing the analysis results of the water tank structure with and without water, it was concluded that FSI is the primary cause of structural damage during an earthquake. The hydrodynamic loads on the roof, diversion walls, and external walls lead to significant localized damage.
format Article
id doaj-art-0f4fbf5a966b4e318fb5e31f073ecb1b
institution Kabale University
issn 2075-5309
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Buildings
spelling doaj-art-0f4fbf5a966b4e318fb5e31f073ecb1b2025-08-20T04:00:50ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092025-07-011515264310.3390/buildings15152643Seismic Performance of Large Underground Water Tank Structures Considering Fluid–Structure InteractionFengyuan Xu0Chengshun Xu1Mohamed Hesham El Naggar2Xiuli Du3Key Laboratory of Urban Security and Disaster Engineering of Ministry of Education, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, ChinaKey Laboratory of Urban Security and Disaster Engineering of Ministry of Education, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, ChinaDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B9, CanadaKey Laboratory of Urban Security and Disaster Engineering of Ministry of Education, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, ChinaThe widespread application of large underground water tank structures in urban areas necessitates reliable design guidelines to ensure their safety as critical infrastructure. This paper investigated the seismic response of large underground water tank structures considering fluid–structure interaction (FSI). Coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian (CEL) was employed to analyze the highly nonlinear FSI caused by intense fluid sloshing during earthquakes. The patterns of fluid sloshing amplitude observed from the finite element model were summarized based on analyses of fluid velocity, hydrodynamic stress components, and overall kinetic energy. In addition, the seismic response of the water tank structure was thoroughly assessed and compared with the simulation results of the empty tank structure. The results indicate that significant fluid sloshing occurs within the structure under seismic excitation. The amplitude of fluid sloshing increases horizontally from the center toward the edges of the structure, corresponding to higher hydrodynamic loads at the side area of the structure. By comparing the analysis results of the water tank structure with and without water, it was concluded that FSI is the primary cause of structural damage during an earthquake. The hydrodynamic loads on the roof, diversion walls, and external walls lead to significant localized damage.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/15/2643underground tank structureseismic performancefluid–structure interactionfluid sloshingCoupled Eulerian–Lagrangian
spellingShingle Fengyuan Xu
Chengshun Xu
Mohamed Hesham El Naggar
Xiuli Du
Seismic Performance of Large Underground Water Tank Structures Considering Fluid–Structure Interaction
Buildings
underground tank structure
seismic performance
fluid–structure interaction
fluid sloshing
Coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian
title Seismic Performance of Large Underground Water Tank Structures Considering Fluid–Structure Interaction
title_full Seismic Performance of Large Underground Water Tank Structures Considering Fluid–Structure Interaction
title_fullStr Seismic Performance of Large Underground Water Tank Structures Considering Fluid–Structure Interaction
title_full_unstemmed Seismic Performance of Large Underground Water Tank Structures Considering Fluid–Structure Interaction
title_short Seismic Performance of Large Underground Water Tank Structures Considering Fluid–Structure Interaction
title_sort seismic performance of large underground water tank structures considering fluid structure interaction
topic underground tank structure
seismic performance
fluid–structure interaction
fluid sloshing
Coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/15/2643
work_keys_str_mv AT fengyuanxu seismicperformanceoflargeundergroundwatertankstructuresconsideringfluidstructureinteraction
AT chengshunxu seismicperformanceoflargeundergroundwatertankstructuresconsideringfluidstructureinteraction
AT mohamedheshamelnaggar seismicperformanceoflargeundergroundwatertankstructuresconsideringfluidstructureinteraction
AT xiulidu seismicperformanceoflargeundergroundwatertankstructuresconsideringfluidstructureinteraction