ASCE 7-10 Supplement 2

J. G. (Greg) Soules, P.E., S.E., SECB

TC-13 Chair

ASCE 7-10 Supplement 2

An article from the November 2012

Structure Magazine highlighted a project
that was misapplying the intent of ASCE 710 Chapter 15 requirements for tanks and
vessels supported on towers similar to
buildings.
The designer who wrote the article took
advantage of a conflict in Chapter 15.
Under the right circumstances, use of the
conflicting requirements results in a
serious life safety issue.

Vessels from Structure Magazine Article

ASCE 7-10 Supplement 2

Supplement 2 eliminates an entry in Table 15.4-2

that is misleading and, under certain
circumstances, in conflict Section 15.3.2.
The entry being eliminated with the proposal is
titled "Tanks or vessels supported on
structural towers similar to buildings".

Associated with the entry is the following

statement for determining the seismic
coefficients:
"Use values for the appropriate structure type in
the categories for building frame systems and
moment resisting frame systems listed in Table
12.2-1 or Table 15.4-1".

ASCE 7-10 Supplement 2

The entry was added to ASCE 7 during the 2005

cycle. It did not exist in the 2003 NEHRP Provisions.
There were many changes going on simultaneously
and in parallel with the PUC.
The entry was to provide requirements for the
structural system used to support a tank or vessel
when the structural system was similar to a
building.
At the same time, a new Table 15.4-1 was added
that permitted many options for non-building
structures with structural systems similar to
buildings.
In the heat of the battle, these additions
were not coordinated.

ASCE 7-10 Supplement 2

Entries in Table 15.4-2 for tanks and vessels

supported by structural towers that were integral
with the tank, such as elevated water tanks,
used R values of 2 and 3.
Because there was an entry for structural towers
not similar to buildings, for parallelism, an entry
for tanks and vessels supported by structural
towers similar to a building was needed.
Therefore, the reference to structural system
values was made. While well intentioned, this
was not a good decision (similar to the minimum
base shear coefficient for buildings).

ASCE 7-10 Supplement 2

The seismic coefficients for a tank or vessel

supported by another structure are based on its
seismic coefficients as if the tank or vessel is
ground supported.
Rather than referencing Table 15.4-1, the correct
reference for R values should have been to the
ground supported vessel and tank seismic
coefficient values in Table 15.4-2 (i.e. either 2 or
3 depending on the detailing).
The concept of determining the seismic design
coefficient values for a non-building structure
supported by another structure is clearly
explained in Section 15.3.2 of ASCE 7.

ASCE 7-10 Supplement 2

If the weight of the supported nonbuilding structure

is significant and the nonbuilding structure is flexible
(which is generally the case), the seismic coefficients
are determined as the more conservative values
between two structures.
The value of R would be 2 or 3 in most cases.
This requirement in Section 15.3.2 is parallel (but not
identical) to the requirement provided in Section
12.2.3.1 for vertical combinations of buildings.
The conflict between this table entry and
Section 15.3 is enough of a life safety issue to
justify an emergency change through the use
of a Supplement 2 to ASCE 7-10.

Questions?