Hyperbolic Cooling Tower Maintenance

Hyperbolic cooling towers are a major element of circulating water systems in many power generation plants. Like other critical elements of the power generation process, disruption and downtime have to be minimized.

Typically constructed from reinforced concrete, hyperbolic cooling towers face a wide range of potential problems that can impact their useful life. Whether from initial design or construction shortcomings…..environmental factors, or ongoing operational wear……cooling tower deterioration is a serious issue.

A proactive approach to maintenance and repair can extend the life of cooling towers, reduce overall repair costs, as well as reduce the risk of downtime and safety incidents within power plants.

The most common cause of concrete deterioration in cooling towers is corrosion of embedded reinforcement from chlorides or carbonation. If left untreated, concrete deterioration can impact safety, structural integrity and eventually lead to costly repair or replacement. Once concrete deterioration process begins, further deterioration and the cost to repair cooling towers accelerate exponentially.

Because of the operational importance of cooling towers and the high capital cost of replacing them, extending the life cycle of these structures is a high priority for any power plant. Despite this fact, facility departments that focus on operations do not always have the in-house expertise or resources to properly evaluate these large concrete structures. That’s where the licensees of Structural Technologies can help.  With a mission to make new and existing structures stronger and last longer, our licensees are focused on helping power providers maintain their concrete infrastructure so that they can focus on their core business – supplying power.