MISCELLANEOUS FILE -2

Elevated Water Tank Design

Tank: WT- 4000 Bes Tank
Capacity: 4000 L Height: 2.36 m Diameter: 1.55 m
Height of Tower: 6 m to bearer line

1. Stresses
Legends:
H- Height D- diameter r- radius P- pressure R- radius of post centers
R’- rod stress - angle the rod makes with vertical - angle the rod makes with the horizontal
S- Strut stress

(a) Center of Gravity.

Cylindrical tank Center of Gravity = H/2

 H/2= 1.18 m
 Total wind pressure on tank at 1*1,436.41 N per
square meter over 60% Diametrical plane
=H*D*P*60%
= 3,158.3 N

(b) Wind Loads.

Assume wind load on tank stand at 2**729.695 Newton per vertical meter.
 Wind load at main bearer line = 729.695 x 3 = 2,189.10 N
 Wind load strut line = 729.695 x 3 = 2,189.10 N
(c) Moment.
 Moment at the Bearer line (M0) = 3,158.3 N x 1.18 m = 3,735.55 N-m
 Moment at 1st Panel (M1) = 3,158.3 N x 4.18 m = 13,212.99 N-m
2,189.10 x 3 m = 6,567.31 N-m
19,780.30 N-m
 Moment at base of stand (M2) = 3,158.3 N x 7.2 m = 22,690.29 N-m
2,189.10 N x 6 m = 13134.62 N-m
2,189.10 N x 3 m = 6567.31 N-m
42392.22 N-m

1
*Suggested wind pressure to be used 1436.41 Newton per square meter
2
**Assume 729.695 Newton per vertical meter

All computations is based from the book of Merle Jay Trees “Design of Elevated Steel Tank”
 MISCELLANEOUS FILE -2
Elevated Water Tank Design
(d) Resisting Moment (uplift).
V= M/2R
That is the compression in the post due to wind forces is equal to the total moment of the wind divided
by twice the radius of the post centers.

(e) Posts.
 Stress at point M0 = 3,735.55 N-m /2(1.8) = 1,035.99 N
 Stress at point M1 = 19,780.30 N-m /2(1.8) = 5,485.99 N
 Stress at point M2 = 42.392.22 N-m /2(1.8) = 11,757.09 N

(f) Braces.
For vertical posts, the rod stress is equal to the vertical shear in the panel considered.

R’ = 0.707 (PA –PA’) sec

 = 30 (angle the rods makes with the vertical)

 For Top Braces.
R’ = 0.707 (5,485.99 -1,035.99) sec (30) = 3,632.86 N
 For Bottom Braces.
R’ = 0.707 (11,757.09 -5,485.99) sec (30) = 5,119.90 N

(g) Struts.
Strut stress in tank stand is equal to the directly applied wind load plus the horizontal component of
braces stress in the panel above.

S = W + R’ cos 

 = 60 (angle it makes with the horizontal)

 Single strut at mid-span.
S = 2,189.10 N + 3,632.86 N cos (60) = 4,005.62 N

(e) Anchor bolts.

There is no horizontal shear on the anchor bolts for vertical post.

2. Section
(a) Water Tank.

All computations is based from the book of Merle Jay Trees “Design of Elevated Steel Tank”
 MISCELLANEOUS FILE -2
Elevated Water Tank Design
- Pre designed tank
(b) Post.
The post must be designed to carry the total dead load of the water and structure itself plus the
compression in the leeward post due to the wind forces.

 Weight of the 4 cubic meter of water = 38,788.49 N

 Weight of the water per post = 38,788.31 N /4 = 9,697.12 N
 Total weight of water tank = 1,569.77 N
 Weight of water tank per top post = 1569.80 N /4 = 392.33 N

The unit stress for wind loads are increased by 25% over those allowed for dead loads.

Top Post.

 Dead Load Water = 9,697.12 N

 Dead Load of Water Tank = 392.33 N
10,089.46 N
 Wind load on Post = 5,485.99 N

 Section required D.L. = 10,089.46 /22,063.22 *3 = 458.06 sq.mm

 Section required W.L. = 5,485.99 N /27585.92 **4 = 199.99 sq.mm
658.06 sq.mm
Use 1: L 2 x 2 x 5/16 = 748.39 sq.mm (inadequate for Bottom Post)
∴Use 1: L 2 x 2 x 3/8 = 883.87 sq.mm

P = 18,500 – 50(118.11/0.386) = 22,063.22 kPa (Unit stress)

Bottom Post.

 Dead Load Water = 9,697.12 N

 Dead Load of Water Tank = 392.33 N
10,089.46 N
 Wind load on Post = 11,756.65 N

 Section required D.L. = 10,089.46 /22,063.22 = 458.06 sq.mm

 Section required W.L. = 7,985.36 /27,585.90 = 425.81 sq.mm
883.87 sq.mm

∴Use 1: L 2 x 2 x 3/8 = 883.87 sq.mm

3
*P = 18,500 – 50(KL/r) unit stress for dead load
4
**25% of dead load stress is unit stress for wind load

All computations is based from the book of Merle Jay Trees “Design of Elevated Steel Tank”
 MISCELLANEOUS FILE -2
Elevated Water Tank Design
P = 18,500 – 50(118.11/0.386) = 22,063.22 kPa (Unit stress)

(c) Braces.

For Top Braces.

Stress = 3,632.86 N
 Section required = 3,632.86 /103,421.36*5 = 25.17 sq.mm
∴Use 1: 5/16 "  = 49.48 sq.mm

For Bottom Braces.

Stress = 4,273.85 N
 Section required = 5,119.90/103,421.36 * = 49.48 sq.mm
∴Use 1: 5/16 "  = 49.48 sq.mm

(d) Struts.
Single strut at mid-span.
(Struts are designed for compression but the maximum length necessary must have slenderness ratio
less than 200)

 Section required = 4,005.62 /96,526.60**6 = 41.29 sq.mm

∴Use 1: L 2 x 2 x 1/8 = 316.77 sq.mm

KL/r = 0.65(100.40)/0.391 = 166.90 < 200

(e) Anchor Bolts.

Uplift = M/2R = 42,392.22 = 10,721.10 N
2(1.80)
Net uplift on anchor bolts equals uplift from the wind forces minus the dead load weight of the metal.
 Anchor Bolt required = 10,721.10 -930.92 =219.35 sq.mm
96,526.60

Use 1: 1 1/4 "  (on 5/16” thick plate) =251.61 sq.mm

(f) Foundation
The foundation must be designed to carry the dead and wind loads in the post, plus the additional weight
of pedestal itself.

5
* use unit stress 103,421.36 kPa for Braces
6
** use unit stress 96,526.60 kPa for Struts

All computations is based from the book of Merle Jay Trees “Design of Elevated Steel Tank”
 MISCELLANEOUS FILE -2
Elevated Water Tank Design
Total weight of the water on one pedestal = 9697.12 N
Total weight of water tank on one pedestal = 392.33 N
Weight of the Post (35.6 N/m @ 6 m) = 213.65 N
Total wind load on one pedestal = 11757.09 N
22,060.51 N

All computations is based from the book of Merle Jay Trees “Design of Elevated Steel Tank”