MAE 15543 - Analysis of Jacking-UP Method For Tank Erection (1) - STD Proj MAE 2015

SINGAPORE POLYTECHNIC
Mechanical Aeronautical Engineering
Diploma in Mechanical Engineering
ANALYSIS OF JACKING-UP METHOD FOR TANK ERECTION
Project Code: MAE-15543
Ng Bo Yan - 1354672
Toh Zhe Han - 1352245
Tan Wilton - 1341713
Toh Yi Rui - 1341755
Year of Study: 2015 – 16
Project Supervisor: Dr KK Lee
Co Examiner: Mr Er Seow Hong
Academic Year 2015/2016 Semester One
Copyright © Singapore Polytechnic. All rights reserved.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The group would like to express gratitude towards the following for their
guidance and support throughout the duration of the Final Year Project.
* Dr KK Lee, for his consultations, sharing of knowledge and patient guidance

on the group for the whole project.
* Mr Lim Teng Sam, for his support and providing of assistance.
* Mr Tony Chua, for his valuable feedbacks on presentation skills and guidance
on understanding on the tank jacking up method.
* Mr. Mou Xin Guo and Mr. Chen Wei, for their support, guidance and
providing of information on tank jacking up method, engineering drawings and
engineering aspects.
* Mr Jimmy Chen, for providing the tensile testing specimens.
* Mr Ivan Ho, for guidance and advice for 3D printing and assembly.
* Mr Leong Teng Boon, for his guidance and advice for 3D modelling.
* Mr Lawrence Lee, for providing guidance with tensile testing experiment.
*Miss Janice Seng and Jefferson Tan, for their support in administration
matters in PEC

ABSTRACT
The purpose of this project is to predict stresses induced on the tanks, with two different
sized rings, when utilising a new method of tank erection known as the “Top-Down”
method.
This method requires the usage of hydraulic jacks. A higher emphasis and interest is placed
on the stresses induced on the rings and their associated brackets. The structural analyses
were done using an FEA software known as ANSYS. Static analyses were performed instead
of Dynamic analyses. Tanks were applied a body load of standard earth gravity of 9.81m/s2
while zero remote displacement is applied to the rigid-behaviour hydraulic jacks.
Based on the group’s acquired results, it was found that both the rings and brackets could
withstand the stresses induced due to the “Top-Down” process.

Table of Contents
Introduction …………………………………………………………………… 1
Objectives …………………………………………………………………... 2
Scope of Work …………………………………………........................... 2
Gantt Chart …………………………………………………………………… 4
Plant Engineering Construction Pte Ltd
• Introduction ……………………………………………….. 6
• Internship ……………………………………………….. 8
Literature Review
• Introduction of Tank ……………………………………… 9

• Tank Erection ……………………………………… 13
• Procedure for Top-Down ……………….............. 14
• Comparison between Methods ………………….. 19
• Welded Steel Tanks for Oil Storage (API 650) ………. 20
• Finite Element Method (FEM) ……………………………. 21
• Introduction to ANSYS ……………………………. 23
Tensile Test
• Objective …………………………………………………………. 24
• Tensile Test Experiment ………………………………………. 26
• Simulation of Tensile Testing (ANSYS) …………. 31

Tank & Components Information
• 3D CAD Models ………………………………………………………….. 37

• Calculation of Mass of Tank ………………………………………. 43
ANSYS Analysis of Tank
• Objective …………………………………………………………………... 47
• Material Model …………………………………………………………. 48
• Geometry Model …………………………………………………………. 49
• Pre-Processing of Analysis ……………………………………… 50
• Post-Processing of Analysis ……………………………………… 54
• Results of Analysis ………………………………………………. 58
• Summary …………………………………………………………………. 66
ANSYS Analysis of Tank with Wind Load & Pressure Load
• Pre-Processing of Analysis ……………………………………. 67

• Post-Processing of Analysis ……………………………………. 68
• Results of Analysis ……………………………………………… 70
Discussion ………………………………………………………………………….. 74
Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………….. 77
Recommendation ………………………………………………………………… 78
References ……………………………………………………………….. 79
Appendix ……………………………………………………………….. 80

INTRODUCTION
In Plant Engineering Construction Pte Ltd (PEC), the main method of tank erection is the
conventional ‘Bottom-Up’ method. The drawback of this method is that it involves work at
heights, with the aid of scaffoldings, and that presents a high level of risk to worker safety.
In 2013, fatalities caused by fall from heights accounted for approximately 25% of the total
workplace fatal injuries which stood at 59 cases. Furthermore, the necessity for scaffoldings
and heavy machineries, such as cranes, requires the mobilisation of an enormous amount of
manpower and can prove to be quite costly.
To address said liabilities, PEC has considered replacing their main method of tank erection
to a ‘Top-Down’ method. This relatively new method utilises hydraulic jacks to lift each
individual shell course; that eliminates the need for working at heights and subsequently
scaffoldings too. Heavy lifting machineries would therefore be replaced by the more cost-
effective hydraulic jacks. In summary, PEC will benefit from the increased safety level and
cost-efficiency.
As to confirm the feasibility of introducing the ‘Top-Down’ method, PEC has tasked the
group with the analysing of said method. To do so, finite element analysis was suggested by
PEC. FEA was suggested as it is able to predict the von-Mises stress for complex structures
precisely. Hence, a FEA software known as ANSYS will be used to predict the stresses
induced on the tank.
In order to ensure analysis results were as accurate as possible tensile testing experiment
was carried out to extract the exact mechanical properties of the material used in tank
erection.
Throughout the project, standards such as API 650 (Welded Steel Tanks for Oil Storage) and
ASTM E8-13 (Standard Test for Tension Testing of Metallic Material) were referred to.

OBJECTIVES
The main objectives of this project are:
1. To create 3D CAD models for the ring, bracket and whole tank, excluding the bottom
plate,
2. To calculate the tank weight,
3. To perform the tensile test of dog-bone specimens according to the ASTM E8-2014
standard (Standard Test for Tension Testing of Metallic Material),
4. To perform the structural analysis of the tank jacking (top first shell course and
whole tank) using FEA software (ANSYS).
SCOPE OF WORK
At the start of the project, the students were able to draft out their scope of work as a guide
to be followed throughout the project.
Preparation
To have a better understanding of the project, the group will have on-site meetings with the
representatives and engineers of PEC. In these meetings, project expectations and scope of
work would have to be agreed and accepted by both parties. Any necessary data,
specification, and drawing would have to be provided by PEC so as to allow the group to
commence on their project.
API 650, which is the standard of welded steel tank for oil storage, has to be read through to
ensure the students have a more thorough background knowledge of the content related to
the project.
Research on tank jacking-up will have to be done as understanding of project content is
imperative. Necessary research content shall be extracted from online sources or
established publications found in the school library. Confirmation of tank size for the study
must be done as soon as possible.
Tensile testing will be done to obtain the mechanical properties of the exact material which
PEC will be using for their tanks to ensure analysis results are as accurate as possible.
Drawings
As 3D CAD models for the tank, ring, and bracket were not provided by PEC, the students
will have to model these structures on their own. Supports, which are essentially I-beams,
will also have to be modelled by the students.

Calculations
Manually calculated and Inventor calculations of the weight of the tank will be given to PEC
for approval before starting on analyses.
Analysis
To confirm the material model created from the tensile testing experiment is correct, a
simulation of tensile testing will be carried out in ANSYS
Analysis will be performed on the tank, ring, and support to find out the degree of
deformation and distribution of stress induced by gravitational force.
Prototype
To better illustrate and allow ease of understanding, a small scale replica of a section of the
tank will be 3D printed.
Final Report
The group will produce the report according to the correct format with the right citations,
font size and typing style. The final report will be a detailed summary of the project and the
group also has to produce a PowerPoint presentation.

GANTT CHART
A Gantt chart was drawn to serve as a guide for the students to plan their schedule for the
project and also to help keep them on track.

5

PLANT ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION (PEC)
Introduction
Established in 1982, Plant Engineering Construction Pte Ltd is recognised as a well-grounded
plant and terminal engineering specialist providing Project Works, Maintenance Services
and other related services to the oil and gas, petrochemical, oil and chemical terminals, and
pharmaceutical industries.
PEC’s long-standing contracts with major industry players, such as ExxonMobil and Shell, are
testaments to their reliability and competency as a service provider. In PEC, as expected of a
major company, there are many departments and there is a high level of interdependence
among them.
PEC’s Fabrication department has numerous fabrication workshops to cater to the ever-
growing demand for parts. Workshops are strategically situated in locations near major
plants, namely, Banyan, Benoi Lane and Shipyard Road, to improve cost-efficiency and
response time to customer needs. Design specifications presented by the designer will be
converted by the Engineering department into ISO drawings which in turn will be provided
to the Fabrication department. Strict adherence to the ISO drawings while fabricating is
essential so as to ensure the quality of the parts.
The Fabrication Workshop will then order the required materials, mainly for pipes, needed
for fabrication. Once the materials have arrived, the Quality Control Officer will conduct a
check on the materials for any form of defect before allowing the commencement of
fabrication. Immediately after the materials are checked, the workers will start fabricating
the pipes with the given ISO drawings.
Upon completion of fabrication, the parts will be subjected to a few tests to ensure their
structural integrity. If deemed to be of acceptable quality, they will then be delivered to the
appropriate sites for installation, accordingly. Yearly maintenance checks on the plant will
be done by shutting it down and then performing crucial, mandatory tests so as to assess its
condition.
PEC’s Engineering department is responsible for the generation of design drawings and
design calculations for process plants and piping systems. Various disciplines are present in
the department, such as, process, civil, structural, piping, tankage and vessels, electrical and
instrumentation.
The engineers are tasked with the depiction of the plant layouts in drawings which will guide
the fabrication and final installation of parts. Calculations that indicate the safety aspects of
the plant will also be the responsibility of the engineers. The revising of drawings will be
done according to changes in customers’ requests while taking into consideration the
structural design of the plant and adhering to the ISO standard. Deteriorating drawings that
were put into service decades ago can be regenerated using the appropriate software.

Through the 30 years of operating history, PEC has garnered numerous awards that serves
as affirmation of its capabilities and quality as a reliable provider of integrated engineering
solutions; Both Bureau Veritas Certification and Building Construction Authority have
awarded PEC with ISO 9001:2008 Certification in Quality Management, furthermore, the
Singapore Quality Class certification was accredited to PEC by SPRING Singapore.
Accredited training and testing facilities are operated by PEC to provide skills training and
certification for their workers as well as workers of other companies. To better facilitate
hands-on training, PEC has also established a mock-up plant facility at their premises for
their workers to learn and practice their technical skills such as pipe fitting, general fitting,
structural fitting, rotating equipment fitting and machinery alignment, including laser
alignment and general welding.
As of today, PEC has expanded their capabilities and geographic reach to many industries in
Asia, Middle East and Europe. Their substantial pool of motivated and skilled personnel, as
well as a sizeable and expanding fleet of about 2000 construction equipment, allows them
to effectively compete for major projects.
PEC will continue to build on their strengths and established reputation to achieve their
vision of becoming the premier service provider and preferred business partner in the plant
and terminal engineering industry.
Fig: Maintenance Services Fig: Project works

Internship with PEC
During the September 2014 holidays, the students were all attached to PEC as a part of their
Industrial Training Programme for a period of 6 weeks. From there, they were separated
and posted to different departments and disciplines. Boyan was posted to the Engineering
Department, Zhe Han and Wilton were posted to Fabrication Shop and Yirui was posted to
Plant General Services which involves scaffolding.
During the internship, the students learnt about the background of the company and
furthermore were also able to experience work-life at sites and exposure to oil and gas
refineries.
Towards the end of the internship, Singapore Polytechnic (SP) enquired with PEC on the
availability of projects which the students can take on as their Final Year Project (FYP).
Mr. Mou Xin Guo, Senior Principal of the Engineering Department, mentioned to SP that
there was indeed a project which could use the help of SP students.

LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction of Tank
During the 6-week ITP with PEC, students learned the components and sections of tank. For
this project, students had to familiarise with and understand the mechanism of tanks to
create the 3D models and carry out analyses. Oil storage tanks are mainly made of carbon
steel and usually welded together in place.
Tanks consist of 3 main components: roof, shell course and bottom plate.
Fig: Main components of tank
Roof
There are various types of roof but the main 3 types are: fixed roof, external floating roof,
and internal floating roof.
Fixed roof tanks are the least expensive to construct and are generally considered the most
basic form of tankage for storing liquids. Fixed roofs are built in fixed positions and can
either be dome roofs or cone roofs. The roofs are normally welded, however for older tanks,
it might be riveted or bolted on. Normally, there will be a compression ring between the
roof plates and shell plates to sustain the high stress induced. Most of the roof plates are
made with steel but aluminium might be used when it comes to dome roofs.
Fig: Aluminium Dome Roof

Extracted: http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs022/1109091349163/img/171.jpg?a=1110717836924

Fig: Fixed Roof
There are 3 types of fixed roofs: self-supporting roof, centre supported roof and columns
supported roof.
The type of roof used is dependent on the size of the tank. Smaller tanks are able to support
themselves, but the larger tanks need centre supported roofs or columns supported roofs.
Fig: Self-supporting roof Fig: Centre supporting roof Fig: Columns supported roof
External floating roofs are designed to reduce the losses of liquid as a result of evaporation.
By attaching the roof close to the liquid surface, it will reduce the surface area of liquid
exposed to the air. Unlike fixed roofs, external floating roofs will collect rainwater as there is
no slope gradient for the water to slide off. Accumulation of rainwater might cause roof
failure to occur, therefore there is a need for a drainage system to drain the water. As a
result, external floating roofs cost more than fixed roofs.
10

There are a few types of external floating roofs:
Fig: Low deck floating pontoon Fig: Double deck floating pontoon
Internal floating roofs are constructed inside the fixed roof. The purpose of this is to
provide the floating roof protection from the elements, such as lightning strikes.
Fig: Internal floating roof
11

Shell
The shells of tanks consists of layers of shell courses. The bottom shell courses are built on
bottom plates. Subsequent shell courses will be wielded on top of the previous ones. Shell
courses are constructed by welding and bending rectangular steel plates.
Bottom Plate
Bottom plates are made up of plenty plates of steel and are surrounded by annular plates at
the sides. Due to the high stress concentrations of the fluid at the edges of the tank, annular
plates have to be thicker than the normal plants to be able to effectively withstand these
stresses.
Fig: Bottom plate
Moreover, there are many different types of bottom plate used: flat, slope-bottom, cone-up
and cone-down. Cone-up and slope will provide better support to the bottom of the tank
while cone-down is not recommended.
12

Fig: Flat-Bottom plate Fig: Slope-bottom plate
Fig: Cone-up bottom plate Fig: Cone-down bottom plate
Tank Erection
Tank erection is the production process of tank storage and there are two methods.
Bottom-Up
This method is the most conventional form of tank construction and is currently used by
PEC. It utilises heavy machineries and scaffoldings. Each shell course is built in a sequence
starting from the bottom and by assembling one shell course on top of another, finishing
with the roof installation. ‘Bottom Up’ requires workers to be working at heights due to the
increasing height of the tank as it is being built.
However, with the ever increasing demands on safety and quality control at construction
sites, there is a need for an alternative method for tank erection.
Fig: Scaffoldings & Heavy Machinery
13

Top-Down
Tank jacking-up, also known as the ‘Top Down’ method, is commonly used for the
maintenance and building of new tanks.
When performing maintenance on bottom plates of tanks, one side of the tank will be
jacked-up to allow the replacement of the bottom plates.
This method utilises several hydraulic jacks that are connected to a hydraulic pump, which
acts as a main source to control the motion of the jacks, will be used. The hydraulic jacks are
used to jack up the tank to allow the installation of another shell course underneath once
the previous shell course has been jacked up.
Fabrication work is done on the ground level, ensuring workplace safety and reducing risk of
injuries.
Fig: Hydraulic Jacks
Procedure for Top-Down
1. Lay down all the bottom plates onto the bottom layer. Once that is finished, an
automatic welding machine is used to weld it all together.
14

2. Installation of internal equipment such as hydraulic pumps, hydraulic jacks and a
temporary ring. Followed by the installation of the first shell course.
3. Rafters are first installed before the roof installation. Roof plates are installed
together to form the dome roof.
15

4. Start the hydraulic pumps to initiate the jacks to jack up the first shell course.
(cont.) Installation of second shell course and detaching ring from first shell course
16

5. Repeat the jacking process and the installation of shell course until the tank reaches
its designated height.
6. Dismantling of tools and lowering the tank body down to the bottom plate.
(cont.) To finish off, an automatic welding machine is used to weld the external and
internal seam together.
17

7. Completion of Tank Erection
Extracted: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHKeEHADENs
18

Comparison between Methods
Advantages
For Top Down, the construction schedule is not affected by the weather as work is done on
the ground. Therefore, the construction schedule is hastened, allowing higher productivity.
This method only utilises hydraulic jacks and does not require scaffolding and heavy lifting
machines. With man-hours working at height and number of workers reduced, there will be
an increased cost efficiency.
On the other hand, for Bottom Up, it is easier to align the shell course.
Disadvantages
For Bottom Up, the construction schedule is dependent and will be affected by weather
conditions as there is a need for workers to be working at heights, this effectively slows
down the process of tank erection. As this method involves work at heights, heavy
machineries and scaffoldings need to be employed, thus incurring higher costs.
Furthermore, there is a level of safety risk to workers whenever there is work at heights.
Method Advantages Disadvantages
Top Down  Weather does not affect the  Tougher to align the shell course
construction schedule
 Faster tank erection
 Reduced man-hours at heights
Bottom Up  Easier to align the shell course  Schedule will be affected by weather
 Working at heights
 Longer time for tank erection
19

Welded Steel Tanks for Oil Storage (API 650)
For this project, students had to understand the standard and codes for oil storage tank
constructions. Therefore, senior principal engineer from PEC, Mr Mou, advised students to
study and understand API 650. API 650 is the standard that shall be referenced when
designing oil storage tanks. The API contents which are related to the project were
summarised by student.
API 650, 4.2.1.4, state shell plates maximum thickness is 45mm unless a lesser thickness is
stated in the plate specification or the following standard:
● 4.2.2 ASTM Specification
● 4.2.3 CSA Specifications
● 4.2.4 ISO Specifications
● 4.2.5 EN Specifications
● 4.2.6 National Standards
For example, plate specification A36M was used in the project, and the maximum thickness
is 40 mm.
In 5.6.1.1 of API 650, shell thickness needed for different tank diameter is stated as
following:
In 5.6.2 of API 650, allowable stress for different plate specifications are listed. For example,
for plate A36M, the minimum Yield strength is 250 MPa, minimum tensile strength is 400
MPa, product design stress is 160 MPa, and hydrostatic test stress is 171 MPa.
In 5.8.1 of API 650, it is stated that the edge of temporally attachment welds shall be at least
75 mm from the horizontal joints of the shell and at least 150 mm from the vertical joints.
20

Finite Element Method (FEM)
The finite element method (FEM) is a numerical technique for finding approximate solutions
to boundary value problems for partial differential equations. It divides the whole problem
domain into smaller parts called finite elements. Therefore, various methods are used from
the calculus of variation to solve the problem. The subdivision of a whole problem domain
into smaller parts has several advantages: accurate representation of complex geometry,
inclusion of dissimilar material properties, and easy representation of the total solution and
capture of local effects.
Typical steps of using method are dividing the domain of the problem into a collection of
subdomains, with each subdomain represented by a set of element equations to the original
problem, followed by systematically recombining all sets of element equations into a global
system of equations for the final calculation. The global system of equations has known
solution techniques so they can be calculated from the initial values of the original problem
to obtain a numerical answer.
In the first step above, the element equations are simple equations that locally approximate
the original complex equations to be studied, where the original equations are often partial
differential equations (PDE). To explain the approximation in this process, FEM is commonly
introduced as a special case of Galerkin method. In simple terms, it is a procedure that
minimizes the error of approximation by fitting trial functions into the PDE. The process
eliminates all the spatial derivatives from the PDE. Thus, for steady state problems, it is
approximating the PDE with a set of algebraic equations and ordinary differential
equations for steady state problems and transient problems respectively.
In second steps above, a global system of equations is generated from the element
equations through a transformation of coordinates from the subdomains' local nodes to the
domain's global nodes. This spatial transformation includes appropriate orientation
adjustments as applied in relation to the reference coordinate system. The process is often
carried out by FEM software using coordinate data generated from the subdomains.
FEM is best understood from its practical application, known as finite element analysis
(FEA). FEA is a computational tool for performing engineering analysis. It includes the use
of mesh generation techniques for dividing a complex problem into small elements, as well
as the use of software program coded with FEM algorithm. In applying FEA, the complex
problem is usually a physical system with the underlying physics such as the Euler-Bernoulli
beam equation, the heat equation, or the Navier-Stokes equations expressed in either PDE
or integral equations, while the divided small elements of the complex problem represent
different areas in the physical system.
FEA is a good choice for analysing problems over complicated domains, when the domain
changes (as during a solid state reaction with a moving boundary), when the desired
precision varies over the entire domain, or when the solution lacks smoothness.
21

To predict the performance, FEM is very important as the quantity (example: stress) varies
with position within the structure. In order to predict performance of an irregular shape,
finite element method is needed.
To analyse a structure, the finite element structure must contain material, excitation,
constraint and geometry.
Material refers to material properties such as Young's modulus, density, Poisson’s ratio,
ultimate tensile strength and yield strength.
Excitation is the external energy applied to the structure such as heat energy or stress.
Constraint is the boundary or loading condition of the structure.
Geometry is constructed by dividing the structure into basic elements. The elements can be
very small where minute geometric details exist. The intersections of the elements are
called nodes.
Fig: Finite element and nodes

Extracted:http://www.nature.com/bonekey/knowledgeenvironment/2005/0512/bonekey20050187/images_article/bonekey20050187-
f1.jpg
In finite element analysis, there are few types of finite elements, such as zero-dimension,
one-dimension, two-dimension, and three-dimension.
Zero-dimension means that the distance and location between the nodes do not affect the
analysis result.
For one-dimension, the variables of the equation varies in one direction only.
As for two-dimension, those variables can vary in two directions, x and y.
22

Finally, three-dimension finite elements are in volumetric solid shape. Their variables can
vary in all three directions. The elements have more nodes compared to lower dimensions
hence, it is harder to use and is avoided if possible. However, many structures or devices
designed by engineers are three-dimensional. This is the reason why FEA software such as
ANSYS are in high demand.
There are a few of techniques to obtain the approximate solutions to boundary value
problems, such as collocation, least squares, galerkin’s method and the ritz method. All of
the methods converge to the exact solution as the number of terms used in the
approximation increase can provide an accurate result needed in engineering analyses.
There are many types of analysis can be done by finite element method, such as structural,
thermal, electromagnetic and fluid analysis. Moreover, Structural analysis consists of linear
statics and nonlinear statics.
Linear statics analysis assumes that stress is proportional to strain. Also, small displacements
does not influence the vector of applied load and additional internal moments do not result
for initially collinear forces. On the other hand, nonlinear analysis are used when large
displacements occur, small displacement occur with nonlinear stress-strain relationships
and a combination of large displacement and nonlinear stress-strain effects occur.
While working at application, the different loads are involved also. There are distributed
load and initial strain applied to one-dimensional elements, pressure loads on two and
three-dimensional elements surfaces, and gravity, centrifugal load, and thermal strain
applied to all elements. Thus, the elements involved also is a key point on working
application.
Introduction to ANSYS
ANSYS develops, markets and supports engineering simulation software used to foresee
how products will behave and how the manufacturing process will operate in real-life
environments.
The students will be learning how to use ANSYS Mechanical software which is a
comprehensive FEA analysis (finite element) tool for structural analysis, including linear,
nonlinear and dynamic studies. The engineering simulation product provides a complete set
of elements behaviour, material models and equation solvers for a wide range of
mechanical design problems. In addition, ANSYS Mechanical offers thermal analysis and
coupled-physics capabilities involving acoustic, piezoelectric, thermal–structural and
thermo-electric analysis.
23

TENSILE TEST
Objective
To ensure analysis results were more relevant, the properties of the material needed to be
as accurate as possible. Instead of using the material properties data provided by the
manufacturer, the students obtained the mechanical properties of the exact material, which
PEC will be using, through tensile testing.
To achieve this, the students requested PEC to provide them with specimens of the
material. The students generated the engineering drawings of the specimens based on
Standard Test for Tension Testing of Metallic Material: ASTM E8-11.
Two different specimen sizes (10mm & 6mm) were requested in the event that the tensile
testing machine (INSTRON), in Singapore Polytechnic, is unable to perform tests with such a
high thickness. Each size was to have 10 specimens therefore bringing the total number of
specimens to 20.
Fig: INSTRON M5900
24

Only 5 specimens of 6 mm thickness were tested as the 10mm thick specimens were unable
to fit into the tensile testing machine.
Fig: Tensile testing specimen

Extensometer measures the precise change in gauge length
Fig: Extensometer
Engineering drawing of the 6mm specimen drawn by students is available in Appendix 2.2.
25

Tensile Test Experiment
The tensile testing was performed by using INSTRON, which can generate calculations and
graphs by using software.
Extensometer was employed by the students to obtain a more precise measurement of the
extension of the gauge length.
The table below shows the original dimensions of the specimens.
Sample Thicknesss Width Cross-Sectional Original Length

(mm) (mm) Area (mm2 ) (mm)
1 5.9 11.7 69.03 200
2 5.9 12.0 70.80 200
3 5.9 12.6 74.34 201
4 6.0 12.5 75.00 201
5 5.9 11.9 70.21 200
Average: 5.9 12.14 71.88 200.4
Tensile testing was carried out by the students, the figure below shows the end result of the
experiment.
Fig: Specimen after test
26

Results
Graphs were generated using INSTRON’s software.
Specimen 1:
The result behaves linearly until it reaches 344.70 MPa, followed by strain hardening until it
reaches 553.96 MPa (UTS). Necking then occurs after UTS.
Specimen 2:
reaches 506.21MPa (UTS). Necking then occurs after UTS.
27

Specimen 3:
The result behave linearly until it reaches 358.28 MPa, followed by strain hardening until it
Specimen 4:
28

Specimen 5:
reaches 507.90MPa (UTS). Necking then occurs after UTS.
29

Mechanical properties of the material could be extracted from the graph (shown in previous
page) or by calculation (by using the formula below).
𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆
𝑌𝑌𝑌𝑌𝑌𝑌𝑌𝑌𝑔𝑔′ 𝑠𝑠 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀 =
𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆
𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀 𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿
𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈 𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇 𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆ℎ =
𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶 − 𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆 𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴
𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝑌𝑌𝑌𝑌𝑌𝑌𝑌𝑌𝑌𝑌
𝑌𝑌𝑌𝑌𝑌𝑌𝑌𝑌𝑌𝑌 𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆 =
𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶 − 𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆 𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴
Specimen Young’s Yield Ultimate Tensile Tangent

Modulus Stress Strength Modulus
(GPa) (MPa) (MPa) (MPa)
1 208.67 344.70 553.96 918.18
2 205.34 358.53 506.21 661.82
3 211.73 358.28 512.51 633.46
4 192.58 342.36 500.67 653.91
5 198.89 346.56 507.90 632.65
Average 203.44 350.09 516.25 700
Standard 6.90 6.92 19.23 109.68
Deviation
The averaged results are checked using API 650 to ensure they were of acceptable range. In
API 650, the students used Plate Specification ASTM A36 as a basis for their results to be
checked against. ASTM A36 is a specification which tank plate materials have to conform to,
before being allowed to be used.
The results will be acceptable if they exceed the values stated in ASTM A36.
Plate Minimum Minimum

Specification Yield Stress Tensile Strength
(MPa) (MPa)
A 36 250 400
The results gotten from the tensile testing were more than the minimum values required in
API 650: ASTM A36, therefore they were acceptable.
30

Simulation of Tensile Testing using ANSYS
A material model was created in ANSYS using the material properties derived from tensile
testing.
In order to confirm the material model created was indeed correct, a simulation of tensile
testing was carried out in ANSYS
The properties of carbon steel are as follow:

Density = 7850 kg/m³
Young’s modulus = 200 GPa
Poisson’s Ratio = 0.3
Tensile Yield Strength= 350 MPa
Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS) = 516 MPa
Tangent Modulus = 700 MPa
Fig: Geometry of Tensile Testing Specimen
31

Fig: Boundary Condition
Full constraint was applied on the Bottom Rectangular surface of specimen while 20mm
displacement was applied to the Top Rectangular surface along the negative X-component.
Fig: Mesh Condition

In this analysis, the model has 10 960 elements and 54 267 nodes.
The solid element type is SOLID 186.
32

Fig: Convergence Curve
In finite element modelling, a finer mesh typically results in a more accurate solution.
To get a mesh that satisfactorily balances accuracy and computing resources, a mesh
convergence study is needed. (Refer to figure above)
Since the number of elements was increased, the result was going to be steady and
converging to the value of 516.98 MPa so it was a fine mesh to be used.
Results:
Fig: Stress Induced Contour
33

In this analysis, the maximum stress induced on the gauge length of the tensile testing
specimen is 516.98 MPa.
𝐹𝐹
Manual calculation of Stress induced =
𝐴𝐴
37816
=
75
= 504.21 MPa
The percentage difference between manually calculated results and ANSYS results:
𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴 𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅 – 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀 𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶 𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅
= × 100%
𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴 𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅
516.98−504.21
= × 100%
516.98
= 2.47%
The percentage difference is well below 5%, therefore the simulated results are acceptable.
34

𝑌𝑌2 −𝑌𝑌1
Young’s Modulus =
𝑋𝑋2 −𝑋𝑋1
351.19−151.19
=
0.0027−0.0017
200
=
0.001
= 200 000 MPa

= 200 Gpa
𝑌𝑌2 −𝑌𝑌3
Tangent Modulus =
𝑋𝑋2 −𝑋𝑋3
516.98−351.19
=
0.2398−0.0027
165.79
=
0.2371
≈ 699 Mpa
The result gotten from the ANSYS simulation is compared with the results from the tensile
testing experiment.
35

Young’s Tangent Yield Ultimate Tensile
Modulus Modulus Stress Strength
(Gpa) (Gpa) (Mpa) (Mpa)
ANSYS Result 200 699 351.19 516.98
Averaged 203.44 700 350.09 516.25
Experiment Result
Percentage 1.72% 0.14% 0.31% 0.14%
Difference ( % )
As the results from ANSYS were close to the experimental result, the material model could
be used in the analysis of tank jacking-up.
36

TANK & COMPONENTS INFORMATION
The tank, as specified by PEC, has a steel dome roof tank. It will be 19m in diameter and
20m in height.
The tank consists of 9 shell courses but only 8 shell courses will be analysed because the last
shell course does not need to be jacked up during the tank erection.
The bottom plate would not be modelled because it is not part of the jacking process.
3D CAD Models
As 3D CAD models are needed in ANSYS for simulation, there was a need to produce them.
PEC supplied 2D engineering drawings of the tank and its various components which in turn
were studied and then modelled into 3D models by the students.
The 3D CAD models were produced using Autodesk Inventor Professional 2014.
The students drew each part of the tank in Part Drawing.
Fig: First Shell Plate
37

Fig: Compression Ring
Fig: Roof
38

Fig: I-Beam Rafter
Fig: Centre Ring
39

Once all the part drawings were done, they will be put together in an assembly drawing to
be assembled together.
Fig: Full tank assembly
40

Fig: Wireframe of the full tank
PEC had proposed 2 ring sizes (C150 and C200) to be attached to the tank and analysed. The
rings are essentially C channels.
20 brackets are used to jack up the tank, and there are 40 brackets around the ring.
(Refer to detail drawing given by PEC in Appendix 3.1).
The rings were then modelled and assembled with the tank.
41

Fig: View of the ring
Fig: Another view of the ring
42

Calculation of Mass of the Tank
Manually calculated and Inventor calculations of the weight of the tank will be given to PEC
for approval before starting on analyses.
Calculation (ANSYS)
Volume of whole tank = 1.5531e+10 mm3
Mass of whole tank = 121 920 kg
Calculation (Manual)
Information given by PEC:

Mass of I-Bean = 4561kg
Mass of Centre Rafter = 147kg
Mass of Compression Ring = 4644kg
Volume of shell = π × Dout × H× t,

Where Dout = outer diameter, H = height of the shell, t = thickness of the plate,
Density of carbon steel = 7850 kg/m3
Volume of 1st shell course = π × Dout × H × t

= π × 19.020 × 1.8 × 0.010
= 1.076 m3
Mass of 1st shell course = Density × Volume

= 7850 × 1.076
= 8 446.6 kg
Mass of 2nd, 3rd and 4th shell course = Mass of 1st shell
43

Volume of 5th shell course = π × Dout × H × t
= π × 19.024 × 1.8 × 0.012
= 1.291 m3
Mass of 5th shell course = Density × Volume
= 7850 × 1.291
= 10 134 kg

= π × 19.024 × 2× 0.012
= 1.434 m3
= 7850 × 1.434
= 11 257 kg
Volume of 7th shell course = π × Dout × H× t

= π × 19.028 × 2.5 × 0.014
= 2.092 m3
= 7850 × 2.092
= 16 422 kg

= π × 19.032 × 2.5 × 0.016
= 2.392 m3
= 7850 × 2.392
= 18 777 kg
44

Calculation of Mass of Roof
Radius of roof plate (𝑟𝑟1 ) = 8.504m
Arc length of each roof plate (𝑙𝑙) = 2.304m
Thickness of each roof plate (t) = 0.01m
Angle of each roof plate = 14°
360°
Total pieces of roof plate (n) = ≈ 26
14°
Density of roof plate material (𝜌𝜌) = 7850 kg/𝑚𝑚3
𝑟𝑟1 𝑙𝑙 8.504 x 2.304
Area of each roof plate (𝐴𝐴1 ) = 2
= = 9.797𝑚𝑚2
2
Volume of each roof plate (𝑉𝑉1 ) = 𝐴𝐴1 x t = 9.797 x 0.01

= 0.09797 𝑚𝑚3
Total Volume of roof plate (𝑉𝑉𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡 ) = 𝑉𝑉1 x n = 0.09797 x 26
= 2.5472 𝑚𝑚3
Total mass of roof plate (𝑚𝑚𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝 ) = 𝜌𝜌 x 𝑉𝑉𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡
= 7850 x 2.5472
= 19 996 kg
Radius of roof centre (𝑟𝑟2 ) = 1.255m
Area of roof centre (𝐴𝐴2 ) = 𝜋𝜋 x 𝑟𝑟2 2
= 3.142 x 1.255 x 1.255
= 4.9487 𝑚𝑚2
Volume of roof centre (𝑉𝑉2 ) = 𝐴𝐴2 x t = 4.9487 x 0.01
= 0.04949 𝑚𝑚3
Mass of roof centre ( 𝑚𝑚𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐 ) = 𝜌𝜌 x 𝑉𝑉2 = 7850 x 0.04949
= 388.5 kg
Total mass of whole roof = 𝑚𝑚𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝 + 𝑚𝑚𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐
= 19 996 + 388.5
= 20 384 kg
45

Total mass of whole tank = 𝒎𝒎𝒓𝒓𝒓𝒓𝒓𝒓𝒓𝒓 + 𝒎𝒎𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔 + 𝒎𝒎𝒓𝒓𝒓𝒓𝒓𝒓𝒓𝒓𝒓𝒓𝒓𝒓 + 𝒎𝒎𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄 𝒓𝒓𝒓𝒓𝒓𝒓𝒓𝒓
= 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏 𝟕𝟕𝟕𝟕𝟕𝟕. 𝟒𝟒 𝒌𝒌𝒌𝒌
Calculation by Inventor Manual Calculation

121 920 kg 119 728.4 kg
The manual and Inventor calculations were has a percentage difference of 1.8%, hence the
mass generated by Inventor is acceptable.
46

ANSYS ANALYSIS OF TANK
Objective
In order to find out if the tank structure is able to withstand the stresses induced due to
jacking-up, analyses have to be run.
Once analyses have been run, comparisons can be done between the results of the stress
induced and the yield stress of the material used.
PEC has requested analyses of the tank to be performed using two different sized C-Channel
rings, C150 & C200.
Dimensions of Rings (C150 & C200)
Fig: C150 ring mounted to shell course Fig: C200 ring mounted to shell course
Note: All dimensions in mm.
Therefore, four different CAD models of the tank were exported into ANSYS to carry out
four analyses. The four CAD models exported consist of two full tanks with two different
sized rings (C150 & C200) and two tanks with only their first shell courses with the two
different sized rings (C150 & C200).
Note that all analyses performed will be Static Structural analyses.
47

Material Model
The material model used for the analysis is carbon steel ASTM A36.
The material properties of the carbon steel are:
Density = 7850 kg/m³
Young’s Modulus = 200 GPa
Tensile Yield Strength = 350 MPa
Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS) = 516 MPa
Tangent Modulus = 700 MPa
Fig: Material model used in ANSYS - Stress (MPa) vs Strain curve

These values were gathered from the tensile testing experiment.
48

Geometry Models
Fig: C150/C200 mounted to top 1st shell course
Fig: C150/C200 mounted to whole tank
49

Pre-Processing of Analysis
Before the start of the analysis, the software requires the user to input the required
boundary and loading conditions.
For the loading condition, a body load also known as standard earth gravity of 9.81 m/s² is
applied in negative Z-component.
Rigid-behaviour jack
For the boundary condition, the students applied remote displacement of zero in the Z-
component on the rigid-behaviour jacks.
50

Contact Boundary
Shell Course
Brackets
Fig: Contact pair definition

Ring
Note that there is no contact between the C-Channel ring and the shell course. However,
there is contact between the brackets and the shell course.
51

FEA Model (C150 & C200)
Fig: FEA Model

As the results of the rings and brackets were of interest to PEC, these components were of
finer mesh. Finer mesh also allows results to be more accurate.
The type of element used for this FEA model is the Solid Element (186).
Element size used for the rings is 60 mm.
Element size used for the brackets is 10mm.
Fig: Mesh of the bracket and ring

52

Meshes of the tank
Fig: Tank with C150 ring

The number of elements produced in the mesh is 76 531.
The number of nodes produced in the mesh is 316 802.
Fig: Tank with C200 ring

The number of elements produced in the mesh is 84 097.
The number of nodes produced in the mesh is 321 223.
53

Post-Processing of Analysis
In post-processing, the students will be able to study results such as total deformation and
the equivalent stress (von-Mises).
These results will be shown in contour plots with a range between the maximum and
minimum values.
Top First Shell Course with Roof (Ring C150)
Fig: Total Deformation Contour Plot
Fig: Equivalent Stress (von-Mises)
54

55

Full Tank (Ring C150)
56

Fig: Total deformation contour plot
57

Results of Analysis
ANSYS is capable of predicting the stresses in a model. Therefore, as one of the group’s
objective, the induced stress in both the C-channel rings (C150 & C200) and brackets were
predicted.
Fig: Triangular bracket

Predicted stress induced in the triangular bracket is 124.6 MPa
Fig: Stress induced in the C-channel ring

Predicted stress induced in the C-channel ring is 63.44 MPa
58

C-bracket
Fig: Stress induced in the C-bracket

Based on the von-Mises contour plot, the stress induced in the C-bracket is so low that it is
negligible. Therefore, it is acceptable.
Conclusion
Triangular bracket
Stress induced = 124.6 MPa
Lesser than the yield stress: 124.6 MPa < 250 MPa
Therefore, this is an acceptable result.
C-channel ring
C-bracket
Stress induced = Negligible
Lesser than the yield stress: < 250 MPa
59



60

C-bracket

Conclusion
Triangular bracket
C-channel ring
C-bracket
61



62

C-bracket

Conclusion
Triangular bracket
C-channel ring
C-bracket
63



64

C-bracket

Conclusion
Triangular bracket
C-channel ring
C-bracket
65

Summary
The results of all 4 analyses have been tabulated into table form for easier reference.
Predicted Safety Location

von-Mises Stress Factor of Stress
(MPa)
C150 124.6 2.01 In the bracket
(1st Shell Course)

(1st shell course)

(Full tank)

(Full tank)
Maximum stress for both full tanks (C150 and C200) are 155.99 MPa and 94.07 MPa
respectively.
The ring and bracket are able to withstand the stress induced as the stress on the ring and
brackets are below the yield stress.
Therefore, both rings are able to be used for tank erections.
66

ANALYSIS OF TANK WITH WIND LOAD AND PRESSURE LOAD
The students were then encouraged to carry on further analyses with different factors such
as wind load and pressure load taken into account.
Pre-Processing of Analysis
For the loading condition, pressure is used.

Pressure load of 500 Pa is applied in the negative Z direction.
For the second loading condition, pressure is also used in the form of wind load.
Pressure (Wind Load) of 2.12 Pa is applied at negative X direction.
Calculation of wind load shall use the formula stated in API 650.
V 2
0.86 ( ) kPa, where V is 9.44 km/h
190
67

Post-Processing of Analysis
In the post-processing, total deformation and the equivalent stress (von-Mises) are used for
the analysis.
These results will be showed in contour plots from a range between the maximum and
minimum values.
Full tank (Ring C150)
68

69

Results of Analysis


70

C-bracket

Conclusion
Triangular bracket
C-channel ring
C-bracket
71



72

C-bracket

Conclusion
Triangular bracket
C-channel ring
C-bracket
73

DISCUSSION
Preparation
Students familiarised with the background knowledge of tank erection. Moreover, they also
researched on finite element method and the usage of ANSYS software, and also practiced
some tutorials on the software (Refer to Appendix 4.1).
During the term break, two of the students were sent to a 5 day ANSYS course to familiarise
with the software
While throughout the duration of the project the students were in school, occasionally PEC
would hold meetings at their headquarters.
Finite element analysis was used because it divides a structure into smaller parts which
could allow more accurate predictions for a complex structure.
Finite element analysis was used also because PEC were looking to introduce this type of
analysis method for their analysis of design of tank.
Material of the tank was ASTM specification A36, which is low carbon steel.
The rings and brackets were only temporarily welded on to the shell courses.
Tensile Testing
Tensile testing was carried out to make sure the material properties are as accurate as
possible. This is of concern as material data given by the supplier might not be the same as
the actual material properties.
Only specimens with 6 mm thick was tested as the 10 mm thick specimens were not be able
to clamped on the tensile testing machine.
The specimens were sanded before testing to have a smoother surface and even load
applied throughout the specimens.
Extensometer was used to measure the precise change in gauge length. It was clamped at
the gauge length to measure it.
The comparison of the tensile testing result was compared with API 650 to make sure the
result of the tensile testing met the requirements of API 650. The result of the tensile testing
met the requirements of API 650. However, material properties stated and required in API
650 was used to calculate the safety factor of the analysis.
Tensile Testing (ANSYS)
Displacement constraint was applied on the specific geometry of the tensile testing
specimen.
The fixed constraint must be applied to the specific geometry of the specimen for running
the analysis.
Due to the geometry problem, the specimen had to be sliced to be three parts before
applying the displacement constraint.
74

Displacement and fixed constraint could be applied to the specimen for running the
analysis.
In order to get accurate results, convergence study was done to find out the best element
size.
The material model created was not same as actual material, we could find out the model
that is more similar to the actual material.
The manual calculation result was done to verify if ANSYS results were acceptable. 5% difference or
below would validate the ANSYS result.
3D Modelling
Autodesk Inventor was used to model the tank parts instead of ANSYS geometry model
because the students were more familiar with the Inventor program.
While 3D models were modelled according to the engineering drawings provided by PEC,
the full assembly had a slight difference in that the compression ring and shell course were
welded instead of being bolted, which is the practice in reality.
The details of the roof was not given by PEC, hence the students were not modelling it
closed to the actual roof.
Rafters needed to be modelled to support the roof during the analysis.
Roof plates and center roof plate could be modelled together as the concern of the analysis
is on the rings and brackets.
The bottom plate and bottom shell plate were not modelled as they would not be jacked up
during the tank erection process. Therefore there was no need to import these parts into
ANSYS.
Student made sure there was no interference for the 3D assembly model so as to allow the
analysis to run.
Hydraulic jacks were not modelled as they were substituted by imprint faces in ANSYS.
A section of the tank was to be 3D printed instead of the whole model as to do so would
result in the various components to be of very small size and thus be unable to be seen
clearly.
The 3D printed model was labelled to allow better illustration during presentation.
Calculation
The calculation by the Inventor software and manual were carried out to ensure the 3D
models were correct by comparing to PEC calculation.
The calculation by the Inventor was done by using standard structural steel density which
was 7850 kg/m3.
The shell courses volume were calculated by imagine the round hollow cylinder were open
up to a rectangular shape.
75

The weight of the roof was done through calculation and addition of the volume of all the
roof plates.
ANSYS Analysis (Pre-Processing)
The result of tensile testing was inserted into ANSYS software to create the material model.
Top first shell course tanks were analysed first to have a better start off for a more complex
structures.
The contact bonds between the rings and the shell plate were removed as the rings were
not welded to the shell plate in actual hydraulic jacking process.
The contact bonds for whole structure were checked to make sure all bonding type were
correct.
Rigid structure were applied to the hydraulic jack imprints to avoid high stress induced on
the imprint.
Remote displacement were used on the imprint faces instead of fixed support because it
can apply fix constraint to the rotation of the imprints.
Remote points were created at the hydraulic jack imprints to apply remote displacement.
Zero remote displacement was applied because the force of the hydraulic jacks were
assumed to be the same as the weight of the tank.
Zero remote displacement in Z-component is applied while free is applied on Y and Z
component because the tank will only fixed in upwards direction during the actual process.
The meshing of the rings and brackets were finer because the results were of higher interest
to PEC.
More mass could be added to ensure the brackets and ring are able to withstand.
ANSYS analysis (Post-Processing)
Von-Mises stress were used to analyse the structure because it was the stress used to
predict the yielding of a material with any type of force.
The concern of the result is on the brackets and rings.
The high stress was induced on the edge of the brackets may be due to the contact issue
between the brackets and shell course.
The high stress were induced on the triangular brackets as it was used to push the shell
plate.
There were some stress distributed on the ring above the jacks because it transferred the
lifting force to the brackets.
Low stress were induced on the C-brackets as the C- brackets function was to prevent the
rotating of the ring.
The accuracy of the analysis could be determined by applying strain gauge of the
components at actual construction side.
76

CONCLUSION
The students were able to create 3D CAD models for all the required components and
assemble them together by following the engineering drawings given by PEC.
The weight of the models were then calculated by Inventor and manually. The weight value
was approved by PEC, meaning the 3D models were correct and can be imported into ANSYS
for analysis.
Tensile testing was done according to the ASTM E8-2014 standard, and the results met the
requirements stated in API 650. The result of the tensile testing was input into ANSYS
software to create material models. The material models were verified by the simulating of
tensile testing in ANSYS software.
Furthermore, 4 analyses of the tank were completed: top first shell course with C-150 ring,
top first shell courses with C-200 ring, whole tank with C-150 ring and whole tank with C-200
ring. All the results were acceptable as it is below the yield stress.
Therefore, the group has achieved all of their stated objectives. The group has even gone
further than required by performing analyses of the tank with additional loads such as wind
load and pressure.
77

RECOMMENDATION
Students of the coming semester that wish to carry on this project may do a deeper analysis
on the process during jacking using Dynamic instead of Static Structural analysis.
Additional loads on the tank such as staircases can be considered in future projects.
They might also research on how various temperatures affect the stability of the material
during tank erection.
The feasibility of tack weld instead of full weld can be explored.
78

REFERENCES
❖ AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE, 2013. C65012:2013. Welded Tanks for Oil

Storage, API standard 650, Twelfth Edition. Washington DC: API.
❖ BARNA SZABO & IVO BABUSKA. 2011. Introduction to Finite Element Analysis:
Formulation, Verification and Validation. West Sussex, UK: John Wiley & Sons.
❖ BRAUER, J. 1993. What Every Engineer Should Know About Finite Element Analysis,
Second Edition. New York: M. Dekker.
❖ Tank Farm Project Top to Bottom Construction Method and Equipment, 2014. [online
video]. Youtube.com. Available from:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHKeEHADENs [Accessed on 22 May].
❖ THOMPSON, E. 2004. An Introduction To The Finite Element Method. Hoboken, NJ:

John Wiley.
❖ WIKIPEDIA. 2015. Finite Element Method [Online]. Available:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finite_element_method [Accessed on 21 May].
❖ WIKIPEDIA. 2015. Von-Mises stress

criterion [Online]. Available:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Von_Mises_yield_criterion [Accessed on 18 June].
❖ ANSYS Mechanical. [online] Available:

http://www.ansys.com/Products/Simulation+Technology/Structural+Analysis/ANSYS
+Mechanical
❖ WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH INSTITUTE, SINGAPORE. 2014. Workplace Safety

and Health Report National Statistics. Singapore. Workplace Safety & Health
Institute, Singapore.
❖ Plant Engineering Construction Pte Ltd documentation. Tank construction

information. Plant Engineering Construction Pte Ltd.
❖ CONTINENTAL STEEL PTE LTD. Product Handbook Structural Steel.
79

Appendix 1.1
Meeting Minutes
Date : 22nd April 2015
Venue: PEC (Paris meeting room)
Attendees: Ng Bo Yan (SP), Toh Zhe Han (SP), Tan Wilton (SP),
Toh Yi Rui (SP), Lee Kim Kheng (SP), Mou Xin Guo (PEC),
Tony Chua (PEC), Janice Seng (PEC), Zhu Yinwei (PEC),

Jefferson Tan (PEC), Vincent Marthawan Jong (PEC),
Tuazon Edsel Diaz (PEC), Chen Wei (PEC)
Overview of Project (Proposed by Mr Mou)

I. Preparation
a) Code Study
i) API 650
b) Related Knowledge
c) Tank size for the study
II. Calculations
a) Tank Weight
b) Support Selection
c) Ring Calculation
d) Tank Analysis
III. Drawings
a) Ring
b) Support Detail
c) Arrangement
d) Simulation
IV. Prototype (If time permits)
80

a) Material
b) Machine
c) Assembly
d) Simulation
● Prototype will most likely be 3D printed model
V. Final Report
a) Format
b) Summarise
c) PowerPoint
Actions to be taken
I. Dr. Lee to check with Singapore Polytechnic regarding the validity of student insurance
coverage when in plants
II. Mr. Mou and Dr Lee to discuss on administrative matters with regards to plant
admission
III. Students to familiarise with the ANSYS software
IV. Students to research on API 650 & API 653
V. Students to confirm project title by 24th April 2015
VI. Jefferson will check with HR for any temporary passes to be issued, and whether PPE
can be issued if required. He will also check with HR if HR can retrieve their Jurong
Island and AWSHPP passes.
VII. Dr Lee mentioned that the students will be in school and will not be going to PEC
every 2 to 3 days as previously mentioned.
Events
30th April 2015
- Meeting with PEC to confirm tank type and specifications
4th to 9th April 2015 (Tentative)
- Presentation to PEC on the student's’ progress
81

Appendix 1.2
Meeting Minutes
Date : 30th April 2015
Toh Yi Rui (SP), Lee Kim Kheng (SP), Tony Chua (PEC),
Lim Teng Sam (PEC), Chen Wei (PEC)
Issues discussed
I. Tank will be have a steel dome roof
II. Engineering drawings will be provided by PEC
III. Material samples for tensile testing will be provided by PEC
IV. Top roof of tank will be supported by rafters
V. Presentation of slides by the students
Actions to be taken
I. Students to calculate the resultant tank weight
II. Students to determine locations of brackets by running analysis
III. Students to produce 3D models from engineering drawings provided
IV. Students to improve their slides by addition of images and simplification of

explanations
V. Students to perform tensile testing with samples provided
82

Appendix 1.3
Meeting Minutes
Date : 15th May 2015
Toh Yi Rui (SP), Mou Xin Guo (PEC), Chen Wei (PEC)
Issues discussed
I. Details of ring and bracket will be given by 19th May
II. Distance between each jack should be approximately 3 metres
III. Safety factor will be 1.5
IV. Details of ASME will be given
Actions to be taken
I. Students to draw the shell layer with compression ring as one part
II. Students to draw roof as one part
III. Students to draw rafters as one part
IV. Students to compare stress level with ASME
83

Appendix 1.4
Meeting Minutes
Date : 3th July 2015
Toh Yi Rui (SP), Mou Xin Guo (PEC), Chen Wei (PEC)
Issues discussed
I. Progress of the project is presented by the students
Actions to be taken
I. Wind load can be added for additional
II. Pressure load can be added on the roof for additional
III. Wind load velocity is 34m/s, refer to API 650
IV. Wielding analysis can be added for additional
V. Finish the project by end of July
84

Appendix 2.1
Steps of Tensile Testing
1. Specimens are filed with rough sandpaper followed by fine sandpaper.

2. Thickness of the specimens are measured and recorded.
3. Numbers of the specimens are marked for identification purposes.
4. 50 mm gauge length of the specimens are marked.
5. Specimen 1 is clamped by the extensometer.
6. Specimen 1 is clamped to the tensile testing machine.
7. All data is reset to zero.
8. Machine is started.
9. Extensometer is removed when warning pops out from the computer.
10. Specimen is removed after it breaks.
11. Result is recorded by the software.
12. Step 5 to 11 is repeated for specimen 2, 3, 4, and 5.
85

Appendix 2.2
Tensile Testing Specimen of 6mm
86

Appendix 2.3
Steps of Simulating Tensile Testing using ANSYS

1. Create a 3D-model of the tensile testing specimen and export it into ‘SAT’ format.
2. Run the ANSYS software and select “Static Structural”.
3. Click on the “Engineering Data” tab to input the required materials. The mechanical
properties will be from the experimental result which was obtained from the tensile
testing experiment in the lab.
4. Right click “Geometry” and import the drawing which is the created 3D-model in
‘SAT’ format.
5. Go in “Geometry” and slice the top and bottom rectangular surfaces by using “Slice”
function.
6. Form the three separated surfaces to one part.
7. Go to model and click the “geometry” and select the created material which is
carbon steel.
8. Click “Static Structural” and select the fixed support on the bottom rectangular
surface of specimen.
9. Apply 20mm displacement on the top rectangular surface of specimen along the – X-
component.
10. Right-click “Solution Information” and choose “Equivalent stress (Von-Mises)” to

predict the stress level and the location of the highest stress induced.
11. Right-click “Solution Information” and select “Equivalent Total Strain”.
12. Plot out the chart of stress against strain by using the outlines of equivalent stress
and equivalent strain.
13. Click “Solve” to run the analysis.
87

Appendix 3.1
Engineering drawings of C150
88

Engineering drawings of C200
89

Appendix 3.2
Steps of Simulating Tank Jacking-Up using ANSYS
1. Create a 3D-model of the tensile testing specimen and export it into ‘STP’ format.
‘STP’ format.
5. Go in “Geometry” and apply twenty imprint surfaces.
6. Sketch the imprint surface below the ring and extrude it and add material to it.
7. Extrude the material to be imprint and do the circular pattern around the ring which
is twenty imprint surfaces.
carbon steel.
9. Mesh the ring to 60mm element size and forty brackets to 10mm element size
respectively.
10. Remove all the contact regions between the ring and the first shell courses.
11. Apply the twenty remote points on the respective imprint surfaces.
12. Click “Static Structural” and select the remote displacement on the respective
remote points.
13. Apply 0mm and degree to the Z-component and X, Y, Z-rotation respectively and
allow X, Y-component to be free mode.
14. Apply standard earth gravitational force along the Z-component to whole structure.

16. Right-click “Solution Information” and select “Total deformation” to predict the
displacement elongated.
90

Appendix 3.3
Steps of Simulating Tank Jacking-Up using ANSYS (Wind Load)
1. Create a 3D-model of the tensile testing specimen and export it into ‘STP’ format.
‘STP’ format.
5. Go in “Geometry” and apply twenty imprint surfaces.
6. Sketch the imprint surface below the ring and extrude it and add material to it.
7. Extrude the material to be imprint and do the circular pattern around the ring which
is twenty imprint surfaces.
carbon steel.
9. Mesh the ring to 60mm element size and forty brackets to 10mm element size
respectively.
10. Remove all the contact regions between the ring and the first shell courses.
11. Apply the twenty remote points on the respective imprint surfaces.
12. Click “Static Structural” and select the remote displacement on the respective
remote points.
13. Apply 0mm and degree to the Z-component and X, Y, Z-rotation respectively and
allow X, Y-component to be free mode.
14. Apply standard earth gravitational force along the Z-component to whole structure.
15. Apply 0.5kPa pressure load on the road top and 2.1249Pa to -X-component of the
tank respectively.

17. Right-click “Solution Information” and select “Total deformation” to predict the
displacement elongated.
91

Appendix 4.1
ANSYS Tutorial
Objective of using ANSYS software:
To familiarise with ANSYS, three examples are attempted.
The following examples are related to different mesh pattern, different supports and
different force applied.
Tutorial 1
Objective: To predict the deformation and equivalent (von-Mises) stress plot of the bracket
when a load of 500N is applied upwards to the hole surface.
This tutorial demonstrates the way to create a bracket of 3D-solid CAD model that is related
to this project. The geometry is a solid body which is a fixed support and loaded as shown
below. The solid body is made from structural steel. The properties for this material are the
default in the ANSYS software. The fixed support is at the two narrow ends.
The properties of structural steel are:
Density: 7850 kg/m^3
Young’s modulus = 2 x 10^11 Pa
Tensile yield strength= 2.5 x 10^8 Pa
Ultimate tensile strength (UTS) = 4.6 x 10^8 Pa
92

The figure shown below is the solid body which is created by the 3D-modelling.
Fig: Isometric view of Bracket
Fig: Engineering drawing
93

Fig: Isometric view of the solid body
The figure shown below is the mesh pattern of the bracket.
Fig: Initial mesh pattern
94

These are the number of nodes and elements with 0 relevance of this figure:
Nodes 3959
Elements 2058
The graph shown below is the graph of different relevance of nodes and elements and how
the elements affect the displacement (deformation).
Graph: Number vs relevance
95

Fig: Displacement vs Elements
The figure shown below is the result of the analysis which is total deformation.
Fig: Displacement (total deformation)
96

The figure shown below is the result of the analysis which is equivalent (von-Mises) stress.
Fig: Equivalent (von-Mises) stress
Result:
The biggest deformation is 2.13 x 10−6mm.
The highest stress at the fixed support is approximate to 2.71 MPa.
The reason for the highest stress at that part is the applied force caused the bracket to be
bent and thus according to the bending theory ,the bending stress was formed and
concentrated at the nearest fixed support surface which is perpendicular to the applied
force.
Summary:
Referring to the graph of number vs relevance, higher relevance will obtain more elements
and nodes.
The higher the number of elements and nodes will get the approximated displacement and
stress, which means the higher the accuracy of the analysis will be obtained.
97

Steps for Tutorial 1
1. Firstly, you need to create a 3D-modelling which is a bracket and export it into
format of ‘SAT’.
2. After that, enter ANSYS software and select the static structural.
3. Enter engineering data to update the required materials. Since the material used is
default so this part will be skipped.
4. Import the geometry of the drawing which is the created 3D-modelling in ‘SAT.’
format.
5. Click the geometry to rename the model to be ‘bracket’.
6. Click the geometry and select the required material which is structural steel.
7. Go to mesh and insert the relevance (-100 is the smallest number, 0 is normal
condition and 100 is the biggest number).
8. Click the static structural and select the fixed support at the two narrows ends.
9. Click the static structural and apply the force which is 500N to the hole along the X-
axis.
10. Click the solution and click the directional deformation to predict the elongation.
11. Click the solution and choose equivalent (Von-Mises) stress to predict the stress level
and the highest stress location.
12. Lastly, solve it to get the result.
Fig: Bracket
98

Appendix 4.2
Tutorial 2
This tutorial demonstrates how to create a thin bracket of 3D-solid CAD model and then
how to specify the element size of the mesh of shell element that are then used in a stress
and deformation analysis. The geometry is a surface body which is supported and loaded as
shown below.
The bracket is made from ASTM A242 steel. The properties for this material are supplied in
the “Tutorial Material Database” library located in the Material subdirectory of the “Student
Files” directory. The fixed support is at the three edges of the flat surface without hole.
Objective: To calculate the amount of deflection and observe the stress distribution that will
occur at the end of the bracket when the load of 150N is applied upwards to the bolt hole.
The figure shown below is the surface body which is created by the 3D-modelling.
Fig: Isometric of solid body
99

Fig: Isometric of solid body
100

The figure shown below is the mesh after inserting 5mm as the element size.
Figure: Mesh pattern of edge sizing
These are the numbers of nodes and elements in this figure:
Nodes 1630
Elements 705
101

Fig: Isometric view of Total deformation
Fig: Different view of Displacement (Total deformation)

102

Fig: Isometric view of equivalent (von-Mises) stress
Fig: Different view of equivalent (von-Mises) stress
103

Result:
The highest stress at the contact is approximately 108 MPa.
The biggest deformation is 1mm.
The reason for the highest stress at that part is the applied force caused the thin bracket to
be bent and thus according to the bending theory ,the bending stress was formed and
concentrated at the nearest end of the fixed support surface which is perpendicular to the
applied force.
Summary:
Even though manual calculations have not yet been performed, the value of the highest
stress experienced, which is at the end of the arc segment, can be known from the analysis
of equivalent stress.
104

Steps for Tutorial 2
1. Firstly, you need to enter ANSYS software and select the static structural.
2. Enter engineering data to edit the required materials. Add the ASTM A242 steel to
the engineering data source.
3. Import the geometry of the drawing which is in the software tutorial CD.
4. Click the geometry to rename the model to be ‘thin bracket’.
5. Click the geometry and select the required material which is ASTM A242 steel.
6. Go to mesh and choose edge sizing. The geometry is at the edge of the surface with
hole and insert element size which is 5 mm.
7. Click the static structural and select the fixed support at the three edges of the flat
surface without hole.
8. Click the static structural and apply the force upwards which is 150N to the hole
along the Y-axis.
Fig: Thin bracket
105

Appendix 4.3
Tutorial 3
Objective: To understand the differences of mesh among the different methods and analyse
how the contact-bond formed affects the equivalent stress that occurs at the contact point
of the geometry when gravitational force applied on it.
This tutorial demonstrates how to create a contact-bonded model of 3D-solid CAD model
and then how to specify the element size of the mesh that are then used in a stress and
deformation analysis.
The geometry is a curved body lying on a rectangular body which is supported and loaded as
shown below. The solid body is made from structural steel. The properties for this material
are the default in the ANSYS software.
The fixed support is at the bottom surface of the rectangular body and the displacement
support at the both semi-circle surfaces set to 0mm at x-axis and y-axis.
The properties of structural steel are:

Density: 7850 kg/m^3
Young’s modulus=2 x 10^11 Pa
Poisson’s Ratio=0.3
Tensile yield strength=2.5 x 10^8 Pa
Ultimate tensile strength (UTS) = 4.6 x 10^8 Pa
106

The figure shown below is the contact-bonded body which is created by the 3D-modelling.
Fig: Isometric view of the solid body
107

Fig: Isometric view of solid body
108

The figure shown below is the mesh after changing the pattern to tetrahedrons.
Therefore, we can now compare the elements and the nodes with the following mesh
patterns.
Fig: Mesh pattern with method-tetrahedrons
There are the numbers of the nodes and elements of this figure.
Nodes 4053
Elements 2075
109

The figure shown below is the mesh after replacing the size of coarse element to fine
element.
By comparing the elements the nodes and elements, we know the number of nodes and
elements have increased.
Fig: Mesh pattern with face sizing-fine elements
There are the numbers of the nodes and elements of this figure:
Nodes 76306
Elements 44808
110

Fig: Isometric view of Displacement (Total deformation)
Fig: Isometric view of equivalent (von-Mises) stress
111

Result:
The highest stress at the contact is approximate to 0.022 MPa.
The biggest deformation is 1.914 x 10−6 mm.
The reason for the highest stress at that part is the gravitational force caused the solid body
collapsed and thus according to the power formula P=F/A, due to the contact point is the
least surface area contacted thus the pressure will concentrate on it.
Summary:
By using ANSYS software, the different methods and element pattern will increase the
elements and nodes. As before the graph shown, the higher the number of elements and
nodes, the higher the accuracy of the analysis.
According to the FEM, higher the number of elements and nodes, the higher the accuracy of
the analysis. Thus, the generation of the number of elements and nodes should be as high
as possible to achieve better precision.
Otherwise, the highest stress will always appear at the contact point.
112

Steps to Tutorial 3
1. Firstly, you need to create a 3D-modelling which is a contact-bonded model and
export it into format of ‘SAT’.
2. After that, enter ANSYS software and select the static structural.
3. Enter engineering data to update the required materials. Since the material used is
default so this part will be skipped.
4. Import the geometry of the drawing which is the created 3D-modelling in ‘SAT.’
format.
5. Click the geometry to rename the model to be ‘contact-bonded model’.
6. Click the geometry and select the required material which is structural steel.
7. Go to mesh and change the mesh pattern to be tetrahedrons in the methods.
8. After that, change the coarse element to be fine element to increase the numbers of
elements and nodes.
9. Click the static structural and select the fixed support at the bottom surface of the
rectangular body and the displacement support at the both semi-circle surfaces set
to 0mm at x-axis and y-axis.
10. Click the static structural and apply the inertial force which is gravitational force on
the model.
Fig: Contact-bonded model
113

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SINGAPORE POLYTECHNIC

Mechanical Aeronautical Engineering

Diploma in Mechanical Engineering

ANALYSIS OF JACKING-UP METHOD FOR TANK ERECTION

Project Code: MAE-15543

Toh Zhe Han - 1352245

Tan Wilton - 1341713

Toh Yi Rui - 1341755

Year of Study: 2015 – 16

Project Supervisor: Dr KK Lee

Co Examiner: Mr Er Seow Hong

Academic Year 2015/2016 Semester One

Copyright © Singapore Polytechnic. All rights reserved.

* Dr KK Lee, for his consultations, sharing of knowledge and patient guidance

* Mr Lim Teng Sam, for his support and providing of assistance.

* Mr Jimmy Chen, for providing the tensile testing specimens.

* Mr Lawrence Lee, for providing guidance with tensile testing experiment.

Copyright © Singapore Polytechnic. All rights reserved.

Copyright © Singapore Polytechnic. All rights reserved.

Scope of Work …………………………………………........................... 2

Gantt Chart …………………………………………………………………… 4

Plant Engineering Construction Pte Ltd

• Introduction of Tank ……………………………………… 9

Copyright © Singapore Polytechnic. All rights reserved.

• 3D CAD Models ………………………………………………………….. 37

ANSYS Analysis of Tank

ANSYS Analysis of Tank with Wind Load & Pressure Load

• Pre-Processing of Analysis ……………………………………. 67

Copyright © Singapore Polytechnic. All rights reserved.

Copyright © Singapore Polytechnic. All rights reserved.

Copyright © Singapore Polytechnic. All rights reserved.

Copyright © Singapore Polytechnic. All rights reserved.

Copyright © Singapore Polytechnic. All rights reserved.

Copyright © Singapore Polytechnic. All rights reserved.

Copyright © Singapore Polytechnic. All rights reserved.

Fig: Maintenance Services Fig: Project works

Copyright © Singapore Polytechnic. All rights reserved.

Copyright © Singapore Polytechnic. All rights reserved.

Fig: Main components of tank

Fig: Aluminium Dome Roof

Copyright © Singapore Polytechnic. All rights reserved.

Copyright © Singapore Polytechnic. All rights reserved.

Fig: Internal floating roof

Copyright © Singapore Polytechnic. All rights reserved.

Fig: Bottom plate

Copyright © Singapore Polytechnic. All rights reserved.

Fig: Cone-up bottom plate Fig: Cone-down bottom plate

Fig: Scaffoldings & Heavy Machinery

Copyright © Singapore Polytechnic. All rights reserved.

Fig: Hydraulic Jacks

Procedure for Top-Down

Copyright © Singapore Polytechnic. All rights reserved.

Copyright © Singapore Polytechnic. All rights reserved.

Copyright © Singapore Polytechnic. All rights reserved.

Copyright © Singapore Polytechnic. All rights reserved.

Copyright © Singapore Polytechnic. All rights reserved.

Method Advantages Disadvantages

 Faster tank erection

 Reduced man-hours at heights

 Longer time for tank erection

Copyright © Singapore Polytechnic. All rights reserved.

Copyright © Singapore Polytechnic. All rights reserved.

Copyright © Singapore Polytechnic. All rights reserved.