Vulnerability study of steel storage tanks in a large industrial area of Sicily

The vulnerability study of steel storage tanks of a large industrial estate in the gulf of Siracusa is presented. Due to the dangerous stored material, tanks become crit ical structures in an area characterized by high se ismic risk and near to the sea. Starting from remote sensing a nalysis data, a two step assessment procedure is ad opted. Firstly, mechanics-based fragility curves are compu ted through a simplified model described with rando m variables. Afterwards, the structures are analysed using a simplified methodology considering the redu ced available data and the high number of tanks to be a nalysed. A simulated design procedure is implemente d to derive the unavailable structural data. Then, the s eismic structural performance of the storage tanks is computed with simplified analyses, validated with detailed F E analyses. Through a real-world example, this work describes the advantages of employing few data and simplified methodologies in large-scale vulnerability evaluat ion of a high seismic risk industrial area.