Response of a tank under blast loading - part II: experimental structural response and simplified analytical approach

The problem of dynamic buckling of thin cylindrical tanks subjected to an external blast caused by an accidental external gaseous detonation is studied in this paper. A study is performed on flexible cylinders at a reduced scale to quantify the structural response. Simplified semi-analytical models based on Donnell's equations and critical imperfection amplification thresholds are used to provide damage predictions. Numerical results are compared to experimental ones which shows a qualitative good agreement. Finally, a reliability analysis on a real atmospheric oil tank is performed and compared with damage diagrams in the form of pressure impulse curves and safety recommendations.