Analysis of wind-induced responses and GLF for super-large cooling towers

Based on wind tunnel tests, time-varying wind pressure distribution on the finite element model of a super-large hyperbolic cooling tower under group-tower environment were reconstructed by the radial basis function (RBF) method. The results were applied in time-domain calculations of wind-induced responses of the cooling tower. Then, the gust loading factor (GLF) method adopted in current engineering practice was analyzed. The results indicate that: due to some inevitable limitations, the existing GLF scheme, in which a unified amplification factor G is adopted to calculate the equivalent static wind loads, may not be applicable for super-large cooling towers. •RBF method for the wind pressure reconstruction of cooling towers was introduced.•Wind-induced performance of a super large cooling tower was analyzed based on RBF method.•The existing GLF method with unified G were investigated.•Some further perspectives on the GLF method was provided based on multiple Gs.