AST Fixed Roof Design

Ref: API 650

 Definitions Supported cone
Roof
A supported cone roof
approximates to the surface of a
right cone that is supported
principally either by rafters on
girders and columns or by rafters
on trusses with or without columns
 Definitions Self Supporting Cone
Roof

A self supporting Cone Roof is a

roof formed to approximately the
surface of a right cone that is
supported only at its periphery
 Definitions Self Supporting Dome
roof

A self supporting dome roof is a

roof formed to approximately a
spherical surface that is supported
only at its periphery
 Definitions Self Supporting Umbrella
Roof

A self-supporting umbrella roof is a

modified dome roof formed so that
any horizontal section is a regular
polygon with as many sides as
there are roof plates that is
supported only at its periphery
Design requirements
Roofs and supporting structures
shall be designed to support dead
load plus a uniform live load of not
less than 1.2 kPa of projected area.
Roof plates shall have a minimum
thickness of 5mm exclusive of
corrosion allowance.
Design requirements
cont.
Roof plates of supported cone roofs
shall not be attached to the
supporting members.
All internal and external structural
members shall have a minimum
nominal thickness of 4.3mm in any
component plus any relevant
corrosion allowance
Design requirements
cont.
Roof Plates shall be attached to the
top of the tank with a continuous
fillet weld on the top side only.
A frangible roof to shell joint will
fail in the event of excessive
internal pressure in preference to
the shell to bottom joint thereby
preserving product containment.
 Design Criteria - structural
members
The minimum thickness of any
structural member including any
corrosion allowance shall not be
less than 6mm for components
resisting axial forces and 4mm for
all other components.
 Design Criteria Supported Cone
Roofs
The minmum slope of the roof shall be
19mm in 300mm.
Main supporting members, while in
contact with the roof plates, shall be
considered as requiring lateral bracing
or similar
Rafters shall be spaced so that they are
no more than 1.89 metres apart at the
circumference.
 Design Criteria - Supported Cone Roofs
Cont.

Roof columns must be made from

structural shapes. Steel pipe may be
used providing it is sealed or
includes provision for draining and
venting
Rafter clips shall be welded to the
tank shell
Column base clip guide shall be
welded to the tank floor
 Design Criteria Self Supporting Cone
Roof

The slope angle of a self supporting

cone roof shall be between a minimum
of 9.5 degrees and a maximum of 37
degrees to the horizontal.
The minimum plate thickness can be
calculated from Tank diameter/(4.8 X
sine of the slope angle) but not less
than 5mm.
Design Criteria Self Supporting Cone
Roof cont.

Maximum thickness of the roof

plates shall be 13mm exclusive of
corrosion allowance.
Design Criteria self Supporting Dome and Umbrella Roofs

Minimum Radius of Dome = 0.8 x

Tank Diameter.
Maximum Radius of Dome = 1.2 x
Tank Diameter
Design Criteria Self Supporting Dome and Umbrella Roofs
Cont.

Minimum Thickness can be calculated from

roof radius / 2.4 plus the corrosion allowance
which shall be a minimum of 5mm.
Maximum thickness = 12.5mm exclusive of
corrosion allowance.
The edges of the roof plates for self
supporting roofs may be flanged horizontally
to improve welding conditions at the top
angle