EXPERIMENTAL STUDY AND ANALYSIS ON HYSTERETIC BEHAVIOR OF STEEL-CONCRETE HYBRID AIR-COOLING STRUCTURE WITH STEEL BRACES

The traditional steel-concrete hybrid air-cooling structure can hardly satisfy the requirements of the 1000 MW thermal power plants in high seismic regions. The displacement of the cantilever end of the structure is beyond the limit value, local force is too large, and the overall lateral displacement is also big under a seismic action. Thus, a steel-concrete hybrid air-cooling structure with steel braces was proposed. Pseudo-dynamic and pseudo-static tests were conducted for a 1/8 scaled model structure. Its hysteretic behavior, ductility, stiffness degradation and energy dissipation capacity were studied when the model structure was under EL-Centro (N-S) horizontal earthquake motion. The test results show that the structure with steel braces will have better energy dissipation capability, slower stiffness degradation speed, bigger residual stiffness and more safety stock, compared with the traditional steel-concrete hybrid structure. The research results can provide an experimental basis for the aseismic design of similar structures, and a guide for relevant engineering design.