Seismic Analysis and Design Considerations of RCC Silo Structures in Indian Seismic Zones: A Review

This review paper presents a consolidated IEEE-style discussion on the seismic analysis and design considerations of RCC silo structures under Indian seismic zone conditions. The review confirms that silos cannot be analysed as ordinary building structures because stored material pressure, wall friction, hopper geometry, dynamic overpressure and support condition strongly influence their response. The literature indicates that dynamic pressure, effective stored material mass, silo slenderness, granular material–wall interaction and soil flexibility remain major challenges in seismic silo design. The uploaded report supports these observations through STAAD.Pro-based finite element analysis of single and double hopper configurations. The numerical findings show that double hopper systems can reduce maximum absolute stress and X-direction bending moment, while soft soil produces the most critical stress and moment response. Circular hopper geometry is found to be more favourable for safe and economical design because it provides more uniform load transfer and lower stress concentration. Overall, RCC silo design in earthquake-prone regions should combine codal pressure calculations, seismic analysis, finite element modelling and careful detailing of critical zones. Future work should include nonlinear time-history analysis, soil-structure interaction, multiple filling levels, different stored materials and experimental or field validation of numerical models.  

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