A Study on Damage-Assessment of RC Large Cooling Tower Shells

RC 대형 냉각탑 셀의 손상추정에 관한 연구

An accumulated crack damage which propagates progressively with time was frequently observed on several engineering structures, This paper numerically demonstrates this damage process on large cooling tower shells under thermal and wind loads. Damage states under varying loads are investigated and the influence of this progressive damage process on the life-cycle of cooling towers discussed. The paper presents briefly some fundamentals of the geometrically and physically non-linear numerical analysis employed for reinforced concrete, especially concerning the models used for concrete, steel reinforcement and the bond between them. As a numerical example an existing cooling tower with noticeable meridian crack damage is analysed. The existing damage state of the cooling tower is determined by quasi-static analyses for temperature, hygric and cyclic wind leading. The change in the dynamical behaviour of the structure as mirrored in its natural frequencies and mode shapes is presented and discussed. Finally, the example shows that such damage processes develop progressively over the life-time of the structures.