Soma Kolin Thermal Power Plant RC Chimney

Under the Soma Kolin Thermal Power Plant project, SİBA built the 208-metre reinforced concrete chimney with twin steel flues, including detailed engineering. This case study addresses the engineering context of slender chimney structures, the rationale of the twin-flue system, and the on-site steel fabrication and heavy-lifting operations.

Project facts

• Location: Manisa (Soma), Turkey
• Structure type: Reinforced concrete chimney with twin steel flues
• Height: 208 metres
• Steel flues: two, approximately 6.5 m in diameter
• Method: Tapered slipform (shaft) + strand-jack erection
• Scope: Basic and detailed engineering, fabrication and erection

Engineering context

At 208 metres, the structure belongs to the class of slender shell structures. For this class, the response is governed by wind, thermal and seismic actions rather than static loads; the design requires an integrated assessment of these effects and attention to the dynamic behaviour of the chimney shaft.

Rationale of the twin-flue system

The structure is built on a principle that separates two functions: the outer tapered reinforced concrete shell performs the load-bearing role, while the two internal steel flues, approximately 6.5 metres in diameter, carry the flue gas. This separation prevents the hot and chemically aggressive flue gas from acting directly on the concrete shell and allows the steel flues to expand independently of it.

A tall chimney is not merely a shell; it is an integrated engineering system that must remain safe for its entire service life under wind, thermal and seismic actions.

On-site steel fabrication and heavy lifting

Because of transport limitations for large steel components, a temporary workshop was established on site; steel fabrication, sandblasting and painting were carried out there. The erection of the two internal steel flues, together with steel platforms and equipment, was executed in a synchronised and controlled manner using 4×70-ton strand jack systems.

Scope

• Reinforced concrete chimney shaft (tapered slipform)
• Twin steel flue fabrication and erection
• Heavy lifting operations with strand jacks (4×70 tons)
• Steel platforms and decks
• On-site steel fabrication, sandblasting and painting
• Borosilicate brick installation
• Auxiliary structures, silos and cooling towers (conventional formwork)

Outcome

The Soma Kolin chimney exemplifies an engineering approach that combines slender reinforced concrete shell design, on-site steel fabrication and strand-jack heavy lifting within a single scope, taking its place among SİBA's tall industrial-structure references.