Assessing the condition of existing structures, with a particular focus on analysing the degradation level, is a complex issue for those responsible for maintenance and monitoring. Elevated storage tanks (water towers) are particularly prone to suffering obsolescence and degradation. As many of these structures are no longer in use and in a poor state of conservation, researchers and local administrators need new tools to achieve a complete overview of the tank condition on a regional scale with limited resources.

This paper presents a large-scale structural degradation analysis on the specific structural typology of storage tanks. Firstly, the tanks performances and degradation level are analysed by using a multicriteria approach useful to include both qualitative and quantitative data in the analysis. Secondly, 32 case studies in Valencia (Spain) are investigated to demonstrate the method’s potential. Thirdly, the results of the degradation analysis were used to identify the most frequent damage, the related causes and the structures in the worst conditions. Finally, the best maintenance and intervention strategies to extend the tanks’ remaining life and protect them from further damage are proposed.

对于负责维护和监视的人员而言，评估现有结构的状况（尤其是分析退化程度）是一个复杂的问题。高架的储水箱（水塔）特别容易过时和退化。由于这些结构中的许多结构已不再使用且保护状态很差，因此研究人员和当地管理人员需要新的工具来以有限的资源在区域范围内全面了解储罐状况。

本文对储罐的特定结构类型进行了大规模的结构退化分析。首先，通过使用多准则方法来分析储罐的性能和退化水平，该方法可在分析中包括定性和定量数据。其次，对瓦伦西亚（西班牙）的32个案例进行了研究，以证明该方法的潜力。第三，使用退化分析的结果来确定最常见的损坏，相关原因和最坏条件下的结构。最后，提出了最佳的维护和干预策略，以延长储罐的使用寿命并保护其免受进一步损坏。