Investigation of buckling behavior of thin-walled steel tanks by reinforcing

This study investigated the effect of height and reinforcement or insulation on the buckling capacity of thin-walled steel tanks. Three groups of thin-walled steel tank models were prepared as a basis for the study. In the first group of cylindrical tank models, no reinforcement and coating is applied to the specimens, In the second group of models, the specimens were reinforced by covering their height with CFRP fabric. The specimens in the third group models were covered with Delta Thene insulation membrane along their height. The experiments were carried out on 12 specimens with dimensions of 400x400x0.45mm, 400x800x0.45mm, 400x1.200x0.45mm, 400x1.600x0.45mm, the roof parts of which were covered with a cover made of the same thickness material, and the lower parts were open. Condensation, corrosion, leakage, etc., may occur due to ambient conditions in thin-walled steel tanks. Therefore, problems make insulation more critical. For this reason, the effects of insulation on the buckling capacity of the tanks were investigated experimentally by insulating thin-walled steel tanks with a Delta-Thene membrane. The prepared thin-walled model tank samples are placed in a specially designed test setup, the air tightness of the samples is ensured, and the deformations that occur in the samples tested with the vacuum test setup are measured by load cells and LVDTs (Linear Variable Differential Transformers) and recorded with a data logger—transferred to the computer environment. Graphs were drawn from the collected data. In light of the data found, Delta-Thene membrane increased the initial buckling capacity of thin-walled steel tanks, and CFRP increased the initial and overall buckling capacity.