External pressure limitations for 0-15 PSI storage tanks

The US DOE plans to construct a number of underground high-level radioactive waste storage tanks at the Hanford Site near Richland, Washington. The underground tanks consist of two main concentric cylindrical structures. The primary carbon-steel tank contains the liquid waste, and the secondary concrete structure serves as a redundant barrier to confine the radioactive fluid in the event of failure of the primary tank. This paper evaluates the design adequacy of the cylindrical walls under the partial vacuum condition and determines the allowable negative pressure for the bottom plate. Failure by buckling is not the governing mode of failure for the dome because of its anchored configuration.