An enriched 2D modelling of cooling towers.: Effects of real damage on the stability under self weight and on the strength under wind pressure

For rigorous numerical analyses of the behaviour of cooling towers, it is necessary to consider an accurate model which takes into account reinforced concrete behaviour, crack distribution and geometrical imperfections. On the other hand, since these structures are thin shells, the analyses must consider the phenomenon of instability. A 2D modelling based on the Fourier series has been adopted to take into account the above mentioned damage. After an accurate description of the typical damage observed on several cooling towers, the paper presents parametrical analyses of the influence of the different damages on the strength of the structure. Two different loads are successively analysed: (i) self weight; (ii) self weight and wind. The results show the importance of the state of cracking of the shell and of the differential settlement on its strength.