TP26-03 Post-Failure Evaluation of Wood- To FRP Conversion of a Crossflow Cooling Tower

In 2024, a partial collapse occurred in the wetted section of a crossflow cooling tower less than one year after the structure had been converted from wood to fiberglass -reinforced plastic (FRP) members. A third-party forensic engineering study revealed deficiencies in three critical areas: material properties, structural design, and installation practices. Laboratory testing performed under Cooling Technology Institute (CTI) protocols demonstrated that FRP components failed to meet key mechanical property thresholds. Structural calculations identified undersized members and inadequate connections that did not comply with ASCE7-16 load requirements. Field inspections further revealed missing hardware, misalignments, and the absence of quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) oversight. Collectively, these deficiencies significantly reduced the tower’s load-carrying capacity, resulting in progressive failure. This paper presents the methodology, findings, and engineering recommendations from the investigation, with the goal of informing future FRP retrofit projects and advancing industry best practices.