Repair and Completion of Damaged Cooling Tower

Abstract

A large hyperbolic cooling tower, under construction and nearly completed, was struck by a falling tower crane during a tornado on April 17, 1978. Damage occurred at the upper edge where a V‐shaped notch was gouged. Also, considerable cracking beneath the notch was observed. The extent of the damage was documented by precision survey techniques and visual inspection. A comprehensive analytical study was performed to insure that the completed tower would meet the design criteria. The repair plan involved repairing the cracks, sawing back the notch in a step fashion, refurbishing the scaffolding, rebuilding the gouged region, and then carrying the construction to completion. Also, two circumferential stiffening rings were added to the shell.