Combination of foundation anchor and energy damper for vertical liquid storage tanks, vertical pressure container, silo or the like with a thin wall and a continuous support

Abstract

The invention relates to a combination of a foundation anchor and energy damper for vertical tanks or similar containers for liquids with a thin wall and continuous support, comprising an energy dissipation component centrally connected to a foundation anchor component by means of a linking component, the energy dissipation component comprising one or more superimposed and horizontally arranged energy dissipating plates with a rhombic shape truncated at the vertices thereof, wherein the shorter diagonal is normal to the wall of the tank and the side ends or vertices corresponding to the longer diagonal have quadrangular extensions for support on a load transmission component that is connected to the wall of the tank so as to transmit and distribute the forces developed by the one or more energy dissipating plates. Alternatively, the energy dissipating plates are trapezoidal with the longer parallel side tangential to the wall of the tank.

Claims

1. A combination of foundation anchor and energy damper for a thin-walled and continuous support structure supported on foundations, wherein the combination comprises: a foundation anchor component; an energy dissipation component; a linking component; and a load transmission component; wherein the energy dissipation component is centrally attached to the foundation anchor component by the linking component and wherein the energy dissipation component is constituted by one or more superimposed and horizontally arranged energy dissipating plates having a rhombus shape as formed by two diagonals, a shorter one and a longer one, connecting pairs of opposite vertices, and two pairs of parallel sides, the rhombus shape being truncated at its vertices and the vertices corresponding to the longer diagonal defining lateral ends of the energy dissipating plates, wherein the one or more energy dissipating plates are disposed in a manner such that the shorter diagonal of the rhombus shape is normal to the thin-wall and wherein the lateral ends have quadrangular extensions for support on the load transmission component, which is attached to the thin-wall so as to transmit and distribute forces developed by the energy dissipating plate or plates to the thin-wall.

2. The combination of foundation anchor and energy damper according to claim 1, wherein the linking component comprises two tightening plates, one on each side of the energy dissipation component, and respective washers, a nut and a lock nut, wherein the tightening plates and the energy dissipating plate or plates have a common central through-hole for receiving therethrough an anchor bolt of the foundation anchor component and for attaching the energy dissipation component to the foundation anchor component by means of tightening the nut and lock nut against the tightening plates and washers.

3. The combination of foundation anchor and energy damper according to claim 2, wherein the anchor bolt of the foundation anchor component is a conventional metal anchor bolt embedded in the foundations.

4. The combination of foundation anchor and energy damper according to claim 2, wherein the anchor bolt of the foundation anchor component is perforated and adhered to the foundation by means of an epoxy resin.

5. The combination of foundation anchor and energy damper according to claim 1, wherein the foundation anchor component comprises an anchor bolt with one end on the foundations and an opposite, free end for attachment of the energy dissipation component, wherein the linking component comprises two tightening plates, one on each side of the energy dissipation component, respective washers, a lock nut and a metal coupling with an end screwed to the free end of the anchor bolt of the foundation anchor component, wherein the tightening plates and the energy dissipating plate or plates have a common central through hole for receiving therethrough a removable fastening bolt that is inserted in an opposite end of the metal coupling to attach the energy dissipation component to the foundation anchor component by means of tightening the lock nut and the removable fastening bolt against the tightening plates and washers.

6. The combination of foundation anchor and energy damper according to claim 5, wherein the anchor bolt of the foundation anchor component is a conventional metal anchor bolt embedded in the foundations.

7. The combination of foundation anchor and energy damper according to claim 5, wherein the anchor bolt of the foundation anchor component is perforated and adhered to the foundation by means of an epoxy resin.

8. The combination of foundation anchor and energy damper according to claim 1, wherein the energy dissipation component comprises two or more energy dissipating plates and the linking component incorporates separating plates between the energy dissipating plates so that the latter deform without interfering with each other in an earthquake.

9. The combination of foundation anchor and energy damper according to claim 1, wherein the load transmitting component comprises: a group of horizontal sag plates that serve as a support means for the lateral ends of the energy dissipating plate or plates; and a reinforcement plate of the thin-wall to which the group of horizontal sag plates is attached.

10. The combination of foundation anchor and energy damper according to claim 9, wherein the energy dissipating plate or plates are provided at their lateral ends with cylindrical bars, which are slidable along the horizontal sag plates of the load transmission component.

11. A combination of foundation anchor and energy damper for a thin-walled and continuous support structure supported on foundations, wherein the combination comprises: a foundation anchor component; an energy dissipation component; a linking component; and a load transmission component; wherein the energy dissipation component is centrally attached to the foundation anchor component by the linking component and wherein the energy dissipation component is constituted by one or more superimposed and horizontally arranged energy dissipating plates having a trapezoidal shape as formed by two parallel sides, a shorter one and a longer one, two other sides that are not parallel and four vertices where the parallel sides meet the non-parallel sides, the vertices of the longer parallel side with the non-parallel sides defining lateral ends of the energy dissipating plates, wherein the one or more energy dissipating plates are disposed in a manner such that the longer parallel side of the trapezoidal shape is tangent to the thin-wall, wherein the lateral ends have quadrangular extensions for support on the load transmission component, which is attached to the thin-wall so as to transmit and distribute forces developed by the energy dissipating plate or plates to the thin-wall.

12. The combination of foundation anchor and energy damper according to claim 11, wherein the linking component comprises two tightening plates, one on each side of the energy dissipation component, and respective washers, a nut and a lock nut, wherein the tightening plates and the energy dissipating plate or plates have a common central through-hole for receiving therethrough an anchor bolt of the foundation anchor component and for attaching the energy dissipation component to the foundation anchor component by means of tightening the nut and lock nut against the tightening plates and washers.

13. The combination of foundation anchor and energy damper according to claim 12, wherein the anchor bolt of the foundation anchor component is a conventional metal anchor bolt embedded in the foundations.

14. The combination of foundation anchor and energy damper according to claim 12, wherein the anchor bolt of the foundation anchor component is perforated and adhered to the foundation by means of an epoxy resin.

15. The combination of foundation anchor and energy damper according to claim 11, wherein the foundation anchor component comprises an anchor bolt with one end on the foundations and an opposite, free end for attachment of the energy dissipation component, wherein the linking component comprises two tightening plates, one on each side of the energy dissipation component, respective washers, a lock nut and a metal coupling with an end screwed to the free end of the anchor bolt of the foundation anchor component, wherein the tightening plates and the energy dissipating plate or plates have a common central through hole for receiving therethrough a removable fastening bolt that is inserted in an opposite end of the metal coupling to attach the energy dissipation component to the foundation anchor component by means of tightening the lock nut and the removable fastening bolt against the tightening plates and washers.

16. The combination of foundation anchor and energy damper according to claim 15, wherein the anchor bolt of the foundation anchor component is a conventional metal anchor bolt embedded in the foundations.

17. The combination of foundation anchor and energy damper according to claim 15, wherein the anchor bolt of the foundation anchor component is perforated and adhered to the foundation by means of an epoxy resin.

18. The combination of foundation anchor and energy damper according to claim 11, wherein the energy dissipation component comprises two or more energy dissipating plates and the linking component incorporates separating plates between the energy dissipating plates so that the latter deform without interfering with each other in an earthquake.

19. The combination of foundation anchor and energy damper according to claim 11, wherein the load transmitting component comprises: a group of horizontal sag plates.

20. The combination of foundation anchor and energy damper according to claim 19, wherein the energy dissipating plate or plates are provided at their lateral ends with cylindrical bars, which are slidable along the horizontal sag plates of the load transmission component.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) To facilitate the understanding of the invention, it will be described below with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings, where:

(2) FIG. 1 depicts a top plan view of a combination of an anchor and energy damper for a thin-walled vertical tank with a continuous support according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, having a single dissipative rhombic-shaped plate.

(3) FIG. 2 depicts an elevation cross-section view of the combination of an anchor and energy damper of FIG. 1 along the plane A-A.

(4) FIG. 3 is equivalent to FIG. 1 but with the energy dissipating plate variant with trapezoidal shape.

(5) FIG. 4 shows a top plan view of a combination of an anchor and energy damper according to the invention with a single energy dissipating plate with cylindrical supports at the ends thereof.

(6) FIG. 5 shows an elevation cross-section view of the combination of an anchor and energy damper of FIG. 4 along cutting plane B-B.

(7) FIG. 6 represents an elevation cross-section view of the combination of an anchor and energy damper of FIG. 4 along cutting plane B-B with 2 energy dissipating plates.

(8) FIG. 7 shows a top plan view of a typical installation of combinations of anchor and energy damper according to the invention, comprised of 8 combinations with the energy dissipating plates of FIGS. 1 and 2, installed on a thin-walled cylindrical vertical tank with a continuous support.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(9) As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, of a preferred embodiment of the combination of an anchor and energy damper for a thin-walled vertical tank with a continuous support (3) supported on foundations (2), which is the object of the invention, the same includes the following elements: as part of the foundation anchor component (a): a foundation anchor bolt (4); as part of the energy dissipation component (b): an energy dissipating plate (1); as part of the linking component (c): metal coupling (5), removable fastening bolt (6), tightening plates (8), washers (9) and lock nut (7); and as part of the load transmission component (d): vertical sag plates (11), horizontal sag plates (12) and reinforcement plates (13).

(10) On the other hand, in the combinations of an anchor and energy damper of FIGS. 4 and 5 it is noted that that the energy dissipating plates (1) are provided with cylindrical bars (14) at their lateral ends, which are slidable along the horizontal sag plates (12) that form part of the load transmission component.

(11) Finally, as is illustrated in FIG. 6, the combination of an anchor and energy damper according to the invention can have multiple energy dissipating plates, in this case two, and for this the linking component has separating plates (10) to avoid that they interfere with each other when they plastically deform in a large earthquake.

EXAMPLE OF APPLICATION

(12) In FIG. 7 a typical distribution of the combination of an anchor and energy damper according to the invention can be seen around the lower part of the wall of a cylindrical vertical tank with a thin wall and a continuous support (3). In this case, eight combinations of anchor and energy damper have been anchored to the foundations and fixed to the tank (3), each with a rhombic type energy dissipating plate.