Research on the Mechanical Properties of a Hyperbolic Cooling Tower Based on Measured Geometric Imperfections

HUANG Yuewen; FENG Youquan; CHEN Junling; WANG Yanchen

doi:10.3724/j.gyjzG26030401

Volume 56 Issue 5

May 2026

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Article Navigation > INDUSTRIAL CONSTRUCTION > 2026 > 56(5): 113-120

HUANG Yuewen, FENG Youquan, CHEN Junling, WANG Yanchen. Research on the Mechanical Properties of a Hyperbolic Cooling Tower Based on Measured Geometric Imperfections[J]. INDUSTRIAL CONSTRUCTION, 2026, 56(5): 113-120. doi: 10.3724/j.gyjzG26030401

Citation:

HUANG Yuewen, FENG Youquan, CHEN Junling, WANG Yanchen. Research on the Mechanical Properties of a Hyperbolic Cooling Tower Based on Measured Geometric Imperfections[J]. INDUSTRIAL CONSTRUCTION, 2026, 56(5): 113-120. doi: 10.3724/j.gyjzG26030401

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Research on the Mechanical Properties of a Hyperbolic Cooling Tower Based on Measured Geometric Imperfections

doi: 10.3724/j.gyjzG26030401

1. College of Civil Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China;
2. Tongji Architectural Design (Group) Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200092, China

Received Date: 2026-03-04
Available Online: 2026-06-06
Publish Date: 2026-05-20

Abstract

Abstract

Hyperbolic cooling tower shells are mostly cast-in-place reinforced concrete thin-walled structures. Their high-altitude construction poses significant challenges， and geometric imperfections often occur due to issues in construction layout accuracy. Focusing on a specific engineering case， this study employed terrestrial laser scanning （TLS） technology to capture precise geometric imperfection data of the tower shell. Based on the scanned data， finite element models of the hyperbolic cooling tower， both with and without geometric imperfections， were developed using ABAQUS. The effects of geometric imperfections on the mechanical properties of the cooling tower， as well as the sensitivity of different load effects to these imperfections， were systematically investigated. The results indicated that when the actual imperfection magnitude was introduced based on the measured distribution pattern， the bearing capacity and crack resistance of the tower shell decreased significantly. Moreover， no deterioration in mechanical properties was observed when the imperfection magnitude remained below 150 mm. The effects of dead load and external wind pressure were highly sensitive to geometric imperfections， whereas temperature effects remained almost unaffected. Furthermore， the locations along the meridian lines of the tower shell where the maximum external wind suction occurs were identified as critical regions for safety assessment.
- cooling tower,
- mechanical properties,
- finite element analysis,
- geometric imperfections,
- load effects,
- imperfection sensitivity

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References(18)

References

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