Collapse Process Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Super-Large Cooling Towers Induced by Failure of Columns
Publication: Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 31, Issue 5
Abstract
This paper presents a numerical simulation and theoretical analysis on the collapse behavior of a reinforced concrete super-large cooling tower induced by failure of columns. The finite-element model was first validated by a collapse experiment of a 1/100-scaled super-large cooling tower and was then used to study the collapse process of the prototype tower. A simplified mechanical approach was put forward to analyze the collapse modes of the prototype tower induced by failure of columns with different numbers. The results demonstrated that the collapse process of a cooling tower resulting from failure of columns could be considered as a non-fixed axis rotation problem. The collapse modes were determined by the number of failed columns, which could be further explained by comparing flexural bearing capacities, vertical bearing capacities, and horizontal bearing capacities of the remaining columns and overturning moments, vertical pressures, and horizontal thrusts, respectively.
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Acknowledgments
This study was financially supported by the National High-Tech R&D Program of China (863 Program) (2012AA050903).
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Published In
Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 31 • Issue 5 • October 2017
Copyright
©2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 26, 2015
Accepted: Dec 6, 2016
Published online: Mar 9, 2017
Discussion open until: Aug 9, 2017
Published in print: Oct 1, 2017
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