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WILTON MAK
Water Tower
This project aimed to design a water tower for a high seismic region. Virtual simulations were extruded on SolidWorks and SAP2000. The water tower was then constructed and tested under compressive loading. After testing, the final design was adjusted on SolidWorks based performance.
 SolidWorks Isometric View |
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 SolidWorks Side View |
 SAP2000 Isometric View |
 SAP2000 Side View |
 SAP2000 Applied Loads |
 SAP2000 Axial Stresses |
 Compression Testing |
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 SolidWorks Isometric View |
 SolidWorks Side View |
 SAP2000 Isometric View |
 SAP2000 Side View |
Preliminary design of the water tower was characterized by a slender configuration. In the model, of this design, the tower consisted of two main parts: the upper section and the lower section. Both sections included chevron bracings. The chevron bracing would distribute the load more efficiently and prevent the longitudinal members from buckling.
Simulations on SAP2000 modeled deformations, load patterns, and stress distribution. From these iterations, it was found that the chevron bracings were able to withhold tension and compression forces.
After construction and testing, it was found that the diagonal chevron bracing members buckled under the compressive load. Rather than thickening the chevron bracings, diagonals were opted to connect the center of the components of the chevrons to help restrict such failure.