Work Packages

Analysis of “special risk” petrochemical plants subjected to seismic loads

Leader: UTHESSA - http://www.uth.gr/

Address: ARGONAFTON & FILELLINON, Volos, Greece

The main objectives of WP1 are listed herein:

• provide a comprehensive overview of probabilistic risk-based seismic evaluation approaches to petrochemical plants and components and setting a probabilistic-based seismic assessment methodology.
• Selection of a representative petrochemical plant and sub-plants for probabilistic risk-based seismic evaluation.
• Define methods in order to treat probabilistic seismic hazard and seismic design categories of systems and main components

FE models and simulations of systems involving complexity/uncertainties

Leader: LPOOL - www.liverpool.ac.uk

Address: BROWNLOW HILL, FOUNDATION BUILDING, Liverpool, L69 7ZX, UK

The main objectives of WP2 are listed herein:

•   set and whenever possible reduce large Finite Element models of support structures/components under study to simplified models yet capable of representing dynamic feature of original models -e.g. eigenvalues, eigenvectors, energy dissipation features etc.- by means of dynamic substructuring and/or layered mediabased techniques;
•   classification and quantification of epistemic and aleatory uncertainties affecting each single subcomponent as well as input uncertainties -e.g. input earthquakes- and analysis of their propagation through dynamic substructuring;
•   propose smart geometrical configurations and/or cheap devices-e.g. sliding spherical bearings, tuned mass dampers – whenever possible either at substructure interfaces or at boundaries capable of reducing supporting structures/components vibration.

Numerical evaluation of fragilities for support structures, pressure vessels, elevated tanks and heaters

Leader: RWTH - www.rwth-aachen.de

Address: Templergraben, Aachen, 52062, Germany

The main objectives of WP3 are listed herein:

•   Provide models and methods for the analysis of the seismic behaviour of support structures, pressure vessels, elevated tanks and heaters, typical of “special risks” petrochemical plants.
•   Define hybrid methods for the evaluation of fragility curves of support structures, pressure vessels, elevated tanks and heaters.
•   Evaluate fragility curves of aforementioned components from the Case Study.

Experimental testing of piping systems, bolted flange joints, Tee joints, liquid storage tanks and welded connections

Leader: CSM - www.c-s-m.it

Address: Via Di Castel Romano, 00128, Roma

The main objectives of WP4 are listed herein:

•   Mechanical characterization of steel for cycling loading and low/high temperature sensitivity.
•   Experimental evaluation of the low-cycle fatigue behaviour of bottom welded joints in unanchored cylindrical steel storage tanks.
•   Real time/pseudo-dynamic seismic testing of a piping system with critical elements by means of dynamic substructuring.
•   Experimental evaluation of cyclic performance of seismically enhanced bolted flange joints under combined loading, i.e. axial and shear.
•   Experimental investigation of the cyclic fracture of welded Tee joints.
•   Shaking table testing of both unanchored and anchored cylindrical steel liquid storage tanks without/with floating roofs.

Evaluation of fragilities for piping systems, bolted flange joints, Tee joints and steel liquid storage tanks

Leader: CEA - www.cea.fr

Address: RUE LEBLANC, Paris, 15, France

The main objectives of WP5 are listed herein:

•   Calibration and validation of detailed/simplified models of piping networks, bolted flange joints Tee joints and steel liquid storage tanks with/without floating roof.
•   Evaluation of fragility curves, for each identified limit state, of piping systems, bolted flange joints and Tee joints for both coupled and decoupled cases.
•   Evaluation of fragility curves, for each identified limit state, of cylindrical steel liquid storage tanks.

Seismic probabilistic risk assessment of a petrochemical plant

Leader: UNIRM3 - www.uniroma3.it

Address: VIA OSTIENSE, Roma, 00154

This work package is aimed at developing a methodology and related tools to perform plant-wide probabilistic seismic risk assessment of industrial process plants of the petrochemical sector. The developed models and methods capable of reproducing independent damage scenarios and their interrelation triggered by earthquakes in the petrochemical industry will be applied to a relevant Case Study identified in Task 1.2
of WP1. In greater detail the following objectives will be pursued:
•   Development of a systematic list of top events and accident conditions caused by seismic response of plant components - tanks, pressure vessels, piping systems, flange and tee joints and supporting structures- leading to a loss of containment or physical damage to other process units.
•   Implementation of equipment vulnerability models able to compute the probability of occurrence of the above cited top events as a function of seismic hazard.
•   Development of a methodology to generate accident scenarios and propagation of uncertainties in a Domino-like fashion including likely interactions between plant equipment.
•   Development of methods and models for estimating damage to plant equipment and physical consequences according to the above cited uncertainty propagation scenarios.
•   Development of a method to compute synthetic performance estimation parameters, e.g., risk indices etc., expressing seismic risk of the plant and a method to rank criticalities of process units.
•   Application of the risk assessment procedure developed above to the Case Study plant.

Guidelines for risk-based seismic analysis of “special risk” petrochemical plants

Leader: IGF - www.ig-fischbach.de

Address: An der Vogelrute 2, Erftstadt, 50374, Germany

The main objectives of WP7 are listed herein:

• Dissemination of seismic probability risk-based assessment methodologies for “special risk” petrochemical plants.
• Acquisition of judgments and consensus of experts.
• Issuing of design guidelines and recommendations useful to enhance Eurocodes.

Coordination and management procedures

Leader: UNITN - www.unitn.it

Address: Via Calepina, 14 - I-38122 Trento

The main objectives of WP6 are listed herein:

• to establish an efficient management process.
• To define standard protocols, common procedures and formats.
• To monitor the activities of each research unit.
• To globally evaluate the research project