/ The Marley Difference /

I tem S1-Wc
Wood Design Standards

What standards govern the design of wood cooling tower structures?

The basic design of timber plication of timber structures, The The purpose of these standards
structures is governed by the Cooling Technology Institute has is to assure the proper structural
National Design Specification for issued CTI Code Tower design of cooling towers. They
Wood Construction (NDS), Standard Specifications including: are meant both to assist the
published by the American Forest designer—and to protect the user.
• CTI Bulletin STD-114 for the de-
and Paper Association. Cooling They are invaluable to the con-
towers, however, are subjected to a sign of cooling towers with Douglas cerned specifier.
uniquely harsh operating Fir lumber,
environment, as well as dynamic • CTI Bulletin STD-103 for the de-
forces that dictate structural con- sign of Redwood towers.
cerns somewhat beyond accepted • CTI Bulletin STD-119 for timber
norms. To address this special ap- fastener specifications.

Specific provisions of CTI Bulletins STD-114 and STD-103

• Structural grades of lumber are purpose RIS grades of Redwood • All lumber must be pressure
required for framework may be used only for treated in accordance with the
members. In Douglas Fir, No. 2 non-framework members. requirements of CTI Bulletin
Structural is the minimum grade • Boxed heart lumber is not STD-112.
allowed. For Redwood, No. 1 Struc- allowed for cooling tower (See Marley Difference Item MC-3)
tural is the minimum grade construction. • Minimum wind load shall be in
allowed. Industrial Clear grades (See Marley Difference Item MC-4) accordance with ASCE 7.
of Douglas Fir and General Potential shielding from
adjacent structures may not be
considered.
• Seismic loads shall be in
accordance with the Uniform
Building Code (UBC).
• Minimum construction and
maintenance load shall be 60
psf applied over the entire fan
deck area. The design shall also
consider rolling and concentrated
loads resulting from moving tower
components (motors, gear boxes,
etc.) across the fan deck.
➠

Cooling Technologies
Balcke | Hamon Dry Cooling | Marley
 / The Marley Difference /

Specific provisions of CTI Bulletins STD-114 and STD-103 (continued)

• Gravity loads for the tower de- Except for modulus of elasticity and • Axially-loaded members shall
sign shall include the wet weight of compression perpendicular-to-grain, be designed to take into account
the lumber (46 lb/cu ft for this reduction in allowable load is stresses resulting from eccen-
Douglas Fir and 45 lb/cu ft for 5%. tricity induced by Bow and Crook
Redwood); the water loading in the • Allowable design values for mem- permitted for the grade used, or
tower, including water in the bers subjected to temperatures in eccentricity induced at joints where
distribution system and excess of 68° F, shall be reduced loads are transferred from members
distribution basins at overflow by factors corresponding to the on one side of the axially-loaded
depth; snow and ice loads; and con- actual temperature to which the member. (An example of the latter is
struction and maintenance loads. member is subjected. Alternative- a girt-to-column connection where
• For structural members subject- ly, the design hot water temperature the girt is on one side of the column
ed to operating loads, can be used to calculate the reduc- only.)
allowable design values are tion for members in the top half of
reduced to provide for an an- the flooded portion of the tower, and
ticipated 50 year load duration. an average of the design hot water
and cold water temperatures for
members in the lower half.

Specific provisions of CTI Bulletin STD-119 The Marley Difference

• Fasteners not listed in • Identifies acceptable joint configura- We abide by the standards de-
CTI Bulletin STD-119 may be tions, and establishes specific reduc- scribed herein, because we believe
used only if the capacity can be tion factors for service conditions in providing our customers with
substantiated by an independent as well as connector spacing, end dependable, long-lasting cooling
testing agency. distance, and edge distance. (See towers.
• By reference to NDS, grooves fab- Marley Difference Item S-3 and Item
ricated in timber members for S-6)
connectors shall conform ac- • Permits no connections to be made
curately to the dimensions and at the location of a knot.
shape of the connector used. (See
Marley Difference S-3)
To order copies of CTI publications, contact:
• Bolt capacities established in STD-
Cooling Technology Institute
119 are based on machine bolts
with full body (shank) diameter PO BOX 73383
equal to the nominal bolt Houston TX 77273
diameter. 281 583 4087
(See Marley Difference Item S-7) www.cti.org

Cooling Technologies
Balcke | Hamon Dry Cooling | Marley

/ 7401 W 129 Street // Overland Park, KS USA 66213 // +1 913 664 7400 // spxcooling@ct.spx.com // www.spxcooling.com /
In the interest of technological progress, all products are subject to design and/or material change without notice.
©2006 SPX Cooling Technologies, Inc. | Printed in USA