Seismic fragility assessment of high-rise stacks in oil refineries

Citation

Karaferis, N.D., Kazantzi, A.K., Melissianos, V.E., Bakalis, K., Vamvatsikos, D. (2022). Seismic fragility assessment of high-rise stacks in oil refineries. Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering, 20, 6877 to 6900.

Read the full article via DOI ›
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10518-022-01472-2

Summary

Process towers, chimneys and flares are among the tallest and most exposed structures on a refinery site, and their collapse or loss of function can halt production and trigger cascading hazards. This paper assesses the seismic fragility of these high-rise stacks through models of varying complexity, deliberately balancing computational effort against the accuracy needed to capture the structures' dynamic and strength characteristics. The models are exercised with a set of hazard consistent ground motions, and seismic demand is evaluated through incremental dynamic analysis, with demand and capacity uncertainties accounted for explicitly. Damage states are defined for each structure type against characteristic serviceability and ultimate limit states, yielding a resource efficient roadmap for producing analytical fragility curves that can be reused directly in the seismic risk assessment of an oil refinery. The contribution matters to resilience practice because it converts a class of critical assets, often treated only qualitatively, into quantified fragilities that continuity and crisis planning can be built on. In Resilience Guard's work with energy and industrial clients, this is the bridge between engineering reality and the recovery objectives a board signs off.

About this research

This work forms part of Resilience Guard's contribution to European research, where the firm's consultants develop and test methods in Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe consortia and apply them in client engagements. See the research portfolio for the projects behind the publications, and the case studies for the practice they inform.