Abstract

An evaluation of applicable materials for an industrial cooling tower is presented in this study. Advantages and disadvantages of different sets of materials including reinforced concrete and FRP (Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites) for cooling tower structure are discussed. After evaluating each material characteristic, the one case study of cooling tower is considered for cost estimation. The results showed that the FRP is best structural material for cooling tower construction mainly due to its superior performance in sea water corrosive environment. From the economical point of view, although the construction cost FRP structure is a little higher, this can be easily balanced by less maintenance costs of FRP structure considering its high durability in hostile environments.

Key words: Fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRP) cooling tower, concrete cooling tower, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) fills.