Revisiting the failure mode of a RC hyperbolic cooling tower, considering changes of material and geometric properties

The failure mode of a previously analyzed reinforced concrete (RC) hyperbolic cooling tower is re-investigated by means of the Finite Element Method (FEM), however, with another computer program. Furthermore, the original design of this cooling tower is changed. The changes include use of ultra-high-strength-fiber concrete (UHSF-concrete), reduction of the thickness of the shell, and consideration of imperfections of the original geometry of the structure. The main conclusion drawn from the numerical results is that the cooling tower would still fail by loss of strength, characterized by the existence of an ultimate load and of yielding of the reinforcement.