Analysis of RCC Industrial Chimneys: A Review

Abstract

Industrial RCC chimneys are tall and slender structures used for the controlled discharge of gases from industrial facilities. Their considerable height and geometric proportions make them sensitive to environmental actions, particularly wind and earthquake loading. The structural response of such chimneys is influenced by parameters such as height, diameter, geometry, material properties and the nature of applied loading. The present paper reviews research related to the analysis and design of RCC industrial chimneys, with emphasis on wind effects, seismic response, governing loads, geometrical variations, aerodynamic behaviour and numerical modelling. Published studies have employed conventional analytical procedures, STAAD.Pro-based structural analysis and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to investigate different aspects of chimney performance. Several studies have examined wind and earthquake effects separately or comparatively, while others have investigated the influence of chimney dimensions and edge geometry on structural and aerodynamic response. Research involving STAAD.Pro demonstrates the usefulness of numerical structural modelling for evaluating load effects and response characteristics, whereas CFD-based investigations provide information about airflow and pressure behaviour around chimney surfaces. The reviewed studies collectively demonstrate the importance of considering structural geometry, environmental loading and dynamic behaviour during RCC chimney analysis. The paper also identifies areas where existing analytical approaches can be integrated to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of RCC industrial chimney behaviour.

Introduction

The text presents a review of the structural analysis and behaviour of RCC industrial chimneys, with particular emphasis on wind loads, seismic loads, geometry, aerodynamic effects, and numerical modelling.

Industrial RCC chimneys are tall and slender structures commonly used in thermal power plants and industrial facilities. Because of their height and exposed surface, they are particularly sensitive to lateral environmental loads, especially wind and earthquakes. Their structural response depends on factors such as height, diameter, taper, material properties, mass distribution, and loading conditions.

The literature review identifies four major areas:

• Wind and seismic loading: Several studies show that both wind and earthquake forces must be considered when designing RCC chimneys. Wind can often become the governing load for tall chimneys, but the critical condition depends on the chimney's geometry and environmental conditions.

• Geometrical effects: Height, diameter, height-to-diameter ratio, and top-to-base diameter ratio significantly influence stiffness, mass distribution, bending moments, stresses, and lateral displacement. Tapered chimney configurations therefore require careful consideration of their changing dimensions along the height.

• CFD and aerodynamic behaviour: CFD and FSI studies investigate airflow, pressure distribution, velocity, drag force, and the influence of chimney edge shapes. Different edge configurations can change aerodynamic performance and wind interaction with the chimney.

• Numerical modelling: Software such as STAAD.Pro is widely used for structural analysis of RCC chimneys, while ANSYS/CFD is used for aerodynamic and fluid–structure interaction studies, and ABAQUS provides advanced finite-element analysis for complex loading conditions.

The case studies include a 100 m self-supported RCC chimney, an RCC chimney for an 800 MW thermal power plant, and studies examining the influence of different chimney geometries. These studies demonstrate that accurate modelling of environmental loads and geometric parameters is essential for evaluating chimney performance.

Research Objectives

The proposed research aims to:

1. Study different types of industrial chimneys and their structural behaviour.

2. Analyse the behaviour of RCC industrial chimneys under relevant loading conditions, particularly wind and seismic loads.

3. Validate conventional RCC chimney analysis using STAAD.Pro software.

Conclusion

The reviewed studies show that RCC industrial chimneys are slender structures whose structural behaviour is significantly influenced by environmental loading and geometric characteristics. Wind and earthquake effects are important considerations in the analysis and design of tall RCC chimneys. The literature also indicates that parameters such as chimney height, diameter, and geometric configuration influence structural response. Conventional structural analysis tools such as STAAD.Pro are widely used for evaluating parameters including bending moment, stresses, displacement, and other structural responses. CFD and advanced numerical techniques provide additional information regarding wind flow, pressure distribution, and aerodynamic behaviour. These approaches complement conventional structural analysis and help in understanding the interaction between chimney geometry and environmental loading. Based on the reviewed studies, the present work focuses on understanding different types of industrial chimneys and their structural behaviour, analysing RCC industrial chimneys under relevant loading conditions, and validating the conventional RCC chimney analysis using STAAD.Pro software.

References

[1] Yadav, B.P., Reddy, S.A., Yadav, J.G. and Prasad, C.V.S.R., 2021. Estimation of seismic and wind loads for design of a 100 m self-supported industrial RCC chimney. Materials Today: Proceedings, 43, pp.1562-1567. [2] Bombile, S.A. and Shaikh, A.N., 2022. Analysis of R.C. chimney with different wind speed using STAAD.Pro. International Journal of Research in Engineering and Science (IJRES), 10(10), pp.531-536. [3] Pandey, S., Verma, P. and Agrawal, G.K., 2023. CFD Analysis of Different Edge Shape of RCC Chimney using M25 Grade of Concrete. Research Square. DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2398250/v1. [4] Reddy, K.R.C., Jaiswal, O.R. and Godbole, P.N. Wind and Earthquake Analysis of Tall RC Chimneys. International Journal of Earth Sciences and Engineering, 4. [5] Khan, M.M. and Roy, A.K., 2017. CFD Simulation of Wind Effects on Industrial RCC Chimney. International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology, 8(1), pp.1008-1020. [6] Praseep, K.A. and Prasad, C.V.S.R., 2014. Governing Loads for Design of a 60 m Industrial RCC Chimney. International Journal of Innovative Research in Science, Engineering and Technology, 3(8), pp.15152-15159. [7] Comparison of Wind Load and Earthquake Load on Chimney. [8] Tulasi Sai Krishna, A. and Mallika Chowdary, C.H., 2021. RCC Chimney for 800 MW Thermal Power Plant. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 1136, 012057. [9] Raghupathi, D., Manoj, G., Bhavya Harika, T. and Agasthesh, K., 2026. Analysis and Design of Self-Supporting RCC Chimney Considering Wind, Seismic, and Geometrical Effects. International Journal of Science Strategic Management and Technology, 2(3), pp.1-9. [10] Ramteke, S., Gautam, P., Dongre, S., Ramteke, S., Sheikh, R. and Thakare, K., 2022. Study of Design of RCC Chimney and Analysis for Wind Load and Earthquake Forces. International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, 3(4), pp.2183-2191. [11] Modi, V.K. and Jaldhari, R., 2024. Impact of Diameter and Height Variations on Chimney Structural Properties: A STAAD Pro Analysis Approach. International Journal of Recent Research and Review, XVII(2). [12] Gupta, A., Choudhary, J. and Sharma, M., 2025. Optimization of RC chimney design under multivariate loads: some insights by ABAQUS simulations. Asian Journal of Civil Engineering, 26, pp.3131-3152.

Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Mohd Jahid Sheikh, Apurva Pophare, Atharv Kolhe, Sakshi Mahure, Pallavi Gadge. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.