Justification of a method for complete lifting

of a tank to repair its base and foundation

Cite as: AIP Conference Proceedings 1772, 060010 (2016); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4964590
Published Online: 13 October 2016

Alexandr Tarasenko, Petr Chepur, and Sergey Chirkov

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AIP Conference Proceedings 1772, 060011 (2016); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4964591

AIP Conference Proceedings 1772, 060010 (2016); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4964590 1772, 060010

© 2016 Author(s).
 Justification of a Method for Complete Lifting of a Tank to
Repair its Base and Foundation
Alexandr Tarasenko1, b), Petr Chepur1, a) and Sergey Chirkov2, c)
1
Industrial University of Tyumen, 72 Melnikayte Avenue, Tyumen 625001 Russian Federation
2
Giprotruboprovod, 24/1 Vavilova Avenue, Moscow 119334 Russian Federation
a)
corresponding author: chepur_p_v@mail.ru
b)
a.a.tarasenko@gmail.com
c)
chirkov0210@mail.ru

Abstract. The paper provides theoretical justification of a structure for strengthening the RVS-20000 shell with vertical
support frames, a stiffening ring, gussets and struts for lifting the tank in order to restore its base and repair the
foundation. The problem of contact interaction between the vertical support stiffening rings and lifting devices has been
resolved. Based on the developed numerical model using the ANSYS software the values of stress, strain and radial
movements have been obtained for the vertical steel tank shell and strengthening elements when simultaneously lifting
RVS-20000 to a height of one meter using 24 hydraulic jacks. Empirical justification of repairing the circular foundation
of RVS-20000 lifted with hydraulic jacks has been performed. Pilot lifting of RVS-20000 at LODS “Torgily” has been
conducted using the suggested technique. The test involved measuring fiber stress in the wall and the vertical stiffening
frame by means of full scale strain gauging and recording geodesic changes in the shell parameters during lifting.
Discretion between the values of stress observed theoretically and empirically was 3.92 %. From the results we can
conclude that the proposed technique does not cause limit states in the VST metalwork and can be recommended for a
large-scale implementation.

INTRODUCTION
Vertical steel tanks (VSTs) are one of the most important facilities in the system of main petroleum transport.
According to the results of diagnostic testing it is often necessary to repair their bases and foundations [1, 2, 3].
Traditionally, foundation repairs are carried out by sequentially removing portions of the VST metalwork, i.e., in
individual work zones. Almost always there are problems with conjugating the reinforcement cage segments,
sequence of laying the concrete and ensuring the integrity of the base often composed of soils consolidated over
many years of operation [4-6]. Therefore, of great interest is a method of complete lifting the VST using hydraulic
jacks in order to further restore the integrity of the circular foundation and sections of the base [4].
Negative factors in lifting the tank are off-design loads arising from the impact of hydraulic jacks, which can
lead to limit states in metal structures. Therefore, the study of stress-strain state of the tank under the influence of
concentrated effort from hydraulic jacks during lifting the thin-walled shell is an urgent task.
Given the experience of foreign experts who not only successfully lifted, but also relocated tanks, it can be
argued that this approach is promising for its introduction and widespread in the Russian oil industry [5]. However,
it should be noted that the design of Russian tanks and storage facilities, built by Western standards (API, BS,
Eurocode), have significant differences. Therefore, transfer of foreign research results to solve this problem is
difficult without performing additional calculations and studies [7].

Prospects of Fundamental Sciences Development (PFSD-2016)

AIP Conf. Proc. 1772, 060010-1–060010-7; doi: 10.1063/1.4964590
Published by AIP Publishing. 978-0-7354-1430-3/$30.00

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 PROPOSED REPAIR TECHNOLOGY
To lift RVS-20000 in order to repair its base and foundation the authors have proposed an original scheme of
strengthening the VST body. According to the results of estimations, the following additional stiffening elements
were used: 24 vertical support frames from the double channel bar №24U under hydraulic jacks (welded to the wall
with intermediate plates); 144 triangular gussets for corner weld joint stiffness sized 8х600х600; 24 struts to support
the annular plate from the I-beam №16 1600 mm in length; an external stiffening ring mounted at the level of the 4th
wall belt at the mark +5.250.
The process of tank foundation repair with lifting on jacks includes 5 main stages (Fig. 1):
1) Installing the reinforcing elements, dismounting the central part of the bottom, arranging jacks and support
plates under the jacks in 24 points (load is applied on the lower edge of the vertical frame) along the VST perimeter;

dismounting the central part of

the bottom

(а) (b)

(c) (d)

(e) (f)

FIGURE 1. Stages of the RVS-20000 foundation repair in accordance with the proposed method: а) VST base and circular
foundation that require repair; b) installing the reinforcing structure, lifting the VST on 24 hydraulic jacks; с) lowering the VST
on wooden lining, assembling temporary pivotal bracket supports; d) lowering the VST on temporary bracket supports, arranging
a new base, reinforced concrete foundation; e) lowering the VST on a new foundation and restored base; f) dismounting
temporary structures (bracket supports), dismounting reinforcing elements, assembling the central part of the bottom, connecting
process pipelines, testing

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 2) Lifting the VST on 24 jacks, lowering on wooden lining and further placing the pivotal bracket supports under
the VST [8];
3) Lifting the VST from wooden lining, disassembling and lowering the tank to the repair position on temporary
metal bracket supports;
4) Dismantling the old foundation, restoring the base, arranging a new circular reinforced concrete foundation;
5) Lowering the VST on a new foundation, dismounting temporary structures and reinforcing elements.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FINITE ELEMENT TANK MODELING

To investigate changes in the tank SSS during lifting and to verify the adequacy of the proposed strengthening
scheme, the authors developed a numerical model of RVS-20000 in the ANSYS software package [5, 6, 9], which
takes into account the exact configuration of the tank (standard design 704-1-60) and its reinforcing structures.
The design scheme of the RVS-20000 model considers the following operational loads (region - Western
Siberia): snow load – 1260 Pа, wind load – 300 Pа. When setting the snow load the uneven distribution of snow is
taken into account - "snow bags". To set the wind load effects, finite elements such as SURF154 are applied.
According to the lifting scheme proposed by the authors, the tank rests on 24 jacks. For each jack the value of lifting
is given with the help of «displacement» command, which determines the value of the given movement.
For various RVS-20000 structures the following types of finite elements are used: SHELL181 – for thin-walled
structures (wall, central part of the bottom, annular plate, stiffening rings, gussets, sheet roof decking); BEAM188 –
for beam structures (supporting roof beams, assembly intermediate roof beams – corners, annular plate support
struts); SOLID186 – for structures of the vertical support stiffness frames and mounting plates to the wall. Such
finite elements as TARGE170, CONTA175, SURF154 are also used to set the loads and contact connections [11,
13, 14]. The design scheme of RVS-20000 with breaking into a finite element mesh is shown in Fig. 2.

FIGURE 2. Design scheme for lifting RVS-20000 on hydraulic jacks: 1 – wall; 2 – vertical support frame under the jacks; 3 –
additional stiffening ring at the 4th wall belt; 4 – fixed roof; Qsn – snow load (fragment); Qw – wind load; Qj – the load
transmitted to the lower bound of the vertical support of the hydraulic jack

Numerical solutions made in ANSYS for theoretical justification of lifting possibility have shown that the values
of the maximum stress and displacement are within an acceptable range [12]. Maximum stress in the wall of the 1st
belt is 17.2 МPа, 2–8 belts – 6.13 МPа, in reinforcing carcass structures – 22.8 МPа, at the allowable ones: 214
МPа, 275 МPа and 179.3 МPа, correspondingly.
Calculations show that the bearing capacity of the wall and stiffness frames given the axisymmetric lifting of the
test tank for the proposed design scheme is provided.

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FIGURE 3. а) Distribution of equivalent stress in the wall when lifting on jacks (Pа); b) Distribution of strain in the bottom part
of RVS-20000 when lifting on jacks (m)

COMPARISON OF THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

To confirm the results of theoretical research and justify the possibility of introducing the proposed method of
RVS foundation repair an industrial experiment was executed on a real structure. In accordance with the design
scheme adopted by the authors, at LODS “Torgily” a reinforcing carcass was manufactured and assembled and then
RVS-20000 was lifted and the foundation ring repaired. Stages of the pilot test are given in Fig. 4 (а-d).

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 (a) (b) (c)

(d)
FIGURE 4. Stages of the pilot test: a) lifting the VST; b) dismantling the old foundation; c) installation of a new circular
foundation; d) locations of strain gauges during lifting

To determine the strain of the supporting frames metalwork and the RVS-20000 wall and further calculate the
acting stresses a full-scale strain gauging was carried out. Comparison of the data obtained during the experiment
and numerical simulation on the FE-model is presented in Fig. 5.
Analysis of the experimental and theoretical dependences of the acting equivalent stress on height (for the
support frame and the shell wall [8]) showed that, when lifting the VST, stress in the vertical frame does not exceed
70 MPa, and in the wall - 30 MPa.
Discretion between the values of stress observed theoretically and empirically was 3.92 %. From the results of
preliminary numerical justifications we can conclude that the proposed technique does not cause limit states in the
VST metalwork and can be recommended for a large-scale implementation.
Based on the results of the research, a technique of RVS-20000 tank lifting for the repair of its base and
foundation has been developed and implemented in АО «Transneft – Sibir» (act №160-22/743-2 of 8.10.2014).
Recommendations on changing current technical standards have been proposed regarding the requirements for
repairing VST bases and foundations.

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 FIGURE 5. Dependences of changes in equivalent stress in the wall and support stiffening frame along the RVS-20000 height
(comparison of theoretical and experimental results)

CONCLUSION
1. A numerical model of the RVS-20000 tank has been developed and verified, taking into account all the
elements of the metalwork: cylindrical shell-wall, bottom and annular plate, stiffening ring, beams and shell roof
decking, as well as reinforcing elements (vertical support frames, gussets, struts, additional stiffening ring on the
wall). The model is based on the standard design 704-1-60; to compensate for nonaxisymmetric strains additional
stiffness elements are proposed and justified.
2. Using numerical modeling in the ANSYS software package we obtained dependences of the acting stress in
the wall and reinforcing carcass along the VST height during simultaneous lifting on 24 hydraulic jacks.
3. Pilot lifting of RVS-20000 at LODS “Torgily” has been conducted using the suggested technique. Based on
the results of theoretical calculations and a full-scale experiment we can conclude that the proposed technique does
not cause limit states in the VST metalwork and can be recommended for a large-scale implementation.
4. An engineering technique for lifting RVS-20000 tank to repair its base and foundation has been developed,
experimentally proven and put into production.

REFERENCES
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(1963).

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7. S.V. Chirkov, A.A. Tarasenko and P.V. Chepur, Proceedings of the universities “Oil and Gas” 5, 72-78 (2014)
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Engineering 32, 219-227 (2016).
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