Research on the Spatial Torsional Effect of Column-Supported Structural Silo Groups Based on Shaking Table Tests

Food security is a critical component of national security. Grain silos, as key infrastructure for food storage, must remain structurally resilient under seismic actions to ensure the stability of grain reserves. However, column-supported vertical-group silo structures are prone to spatial torsional effects during earthquakes due to eccentricities between the mass center and the stiffness center after grain loading, which can lead to serious structural damage or collapse. Based on this background, shaking table tests were conducted on a column-supported vertical-group silo structure as the research subject, with a scale ratio of 1/25 and in the 1 row × 3 column combination form. The dynamic response and spatial torsional effect of the structure under different grain storage conditions and seismic intensity effects were studied. To thoroughly analyze the factors influencing the spatial torsion in the structure, finite element–discrete element numerical analysis models of the structure were established based on experiments in Abaqus (6.14) software. The results indicate that in the column-supported vertical-group silo structure, the mass center of the group silo structure deviates from its center of rigidity after grain storage, resulting in significant and irregular spatial torsional effects under earthquake motion. The torsional displacement ratio and inter-story horizontal torsional angle of the structure gradually increased with an increase in the seismic intensity, reaching maximum values of 1.34 and 0.035 rad, respectively, when the peak acceleration input on the table was 0.4 g and under the full–full–empty storage condition. The effects of the void distribution, mass void ratio, and combination form of the group silo structure on the spatial torsional effect of the structure were studied to provide a scientific reference for the seismic design of column-supported silo structures for grain storage.