Ultimate strength of R/C cooling tower shells subjected to wind load

The failure mechanisms of the R/C cooling tower shells subjected to the dead load and the wind load are examined by use of the finite element method. Also adopting two types of imperfection, bulge type and ring type, the effects of initial imperfections of the ultimate strength of the R/C cooling towers are analyzed numerically. It is concluded that the tension stiffening of the cracked concrete plays the important role to the ultimate strength of the R/C cooling tower shells and that the ultimate strength of the hyperbolic R/C shells is not sensitive to the initial imperfection. (author)