Static soil–structure interaction response of hyperbolic cooling towers to symmetrical wind loads

The paper deals with the numerical modeling of a column supported hyperbolic cooling tower and its supporting annular raft–soil system to study its soil–structure interaction response under the influence of symmetrical wind load acting upon it. Symmetrical wind pressure considered in the analysis is the one specified by the Indian and the British Standards. The soil–structure interaction response of the tower has been compared with that of a tower whose supporting columns are treated as fixed at the base. The analysis highlights the fact that significant alteration of radial displacements and design forces and moments occurs in the tower shell and supporting columns. It also brings out the fact that an apparently rigid raft may as such behave as a flexible one.