Non‐linear finite element analysis of a reinforced concrete cooling tower shell

Reinforced concrete (R/C) hyperbolic cooling towers are the largest thin‐shell structures ever constructed. These towers stand more than 150m tall and have wall thicknesses of 0.20‐0.25m. Therefore, these can be classified as thin‐shell structures. Analyses the influences of both the reinforcing ratio and the tensile strength of the concrete on the strength of the R/C cooling tower shells. In the numerical analysis Port Gibson tower is adopted for the numerical model and the finite element method is applied to examine the non‐linear behaviour of the cooling tower shells. From the load displacement curves the initial crack strength and the ultimate strength are determined. Also presents the stress redistribution processes and demonstrates the influences of these problems on the strength of the cooling tower shells.