Buckling due to Wind in Corroded Condition

For API 650 tanks the wind calculations (both resistance to overturning and for buckling) are performed in the new condition unless the customer specifies otherwise. As such we have always had a checkbox in the "Wind" portion of our design screen to specify that the wind calculations are to be done in the corroded condition. We have now added a second checkbox to allow you to do the resistance to overturning in the "new" conditiong but do the shell buckling analysis in the "corroded" conditiong. If this checkbox is marked, then the check for wind girders will be evaluated in the corroded condition rather than the new condition.

We continually make additions and modifications to our ITSdesign software to meet the needs of our clients. We have several modifications being evaluated or worked on because of requests received. A trial version of ITSdesign is available for download at www.innovativetanksolution.com.

API Committee Meeting

The next API committee meeting will be coming up in November. As a member of the Subcommittee for Aboveground Storage Tanks design group, I will be attending the meeting and bringing some of my concerns and hopefully revisions to the standards. I have several issues I will be bringing before the committee. If you have a particular concern you think needs to be addressed, you can try to send an inquiry to API through their normal channels or you could email me your concern and I will see if it is something that I think the committee should be addressing. I would need any comments by the end of September. You can email me at its@innovativetanksolution.com.

Corrosion Allowance on Columns

We have released a new version of our software that makes some additions to how corrosion allowances are handled for the columns of column supported roofs. Previously we applied the corrosion allowance to the outside only on pipe columns. For structural columns we applied the corrosion allowance to all surfaces of the beams. We have added a checkbox on the "Rafters & Columns" tab that allows you to specify that the corrosion allowance on pipe columns is to be applied to both the interior and the exterior. For structural columns we added a checkbox that allows you to specify that the corrosion allowance is the "Total" corrosion allowance rather than per surface. We also now note this on the "Design" page of the printout.

Factory Mutual 4020/4021

We have just released a new version of ITSdesign that includes a design for Factory Mutual 4020/4021 (December 2005) tanks. This is currently only in US units as we are working on the conversions for SI units that Factory Mutual did not provide. The Factory Mutual design is still being verified by one of our clients to make sure that we interpreted all of the standard correctly. We will be making changes to this design if any discrepencies are discovered. Factory Mutual has two different options for seismic design using live loads. We chose to use the 25% of live load option. They also require that the sloshing height not exceed the freeboard or you must do an evaluation of the loadings on the roof. We currently have only included the option to require that the freeboard exceed the sloshing height. We did find an error in the equation in 2.15.5 (c) for the design tension load on bolts for seismic. The equation should be multiplied by S rather than divided by S. We have incorporated this in our program.

If you are doing Factory Mutual tanks we would appreciate your evaluation of the design. If you do not currently use ITSdesign software, go to our website at www.innovativetanksolution.com and download a trial copy of our ITSdesign software.