CAUSE OF DEFORMED SHAPES IN COOLING-TOWERS

Field observation of damage on several old cooling towers poses the pr oblem of their aging process. This latter may be a phenomenon linked n ot only with the deterioration of reinforced concrete as material, but also with possibility of buckling. The present study is an attempt to analyze and to interpret observed in-situ deterioration by means of p arametric digital calculations, using experimental results obtained in laboratory. The origin of the deformed shapes of the cooling towers t hat were analyzed is then identified. This analysis emphasizes the pre dominant role played by self-weight in the mechanical behavior of the cooling towers. Self-weight is the cause of the multimodal deformed sh apes observed which were initiated during the construction phase. Thes e same deformed shapes encourage cracking by initiation of a significa nt degree of local bending, particularly in the circumferential direct ion which causes meridional cracking; a phenomenon which has been corr oborated by in-situ observation.