Smokestacks

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

This is a picture of a steam generating plant in Pittsburgh.

The smokestack on the left was built in 1907. Here is something of a close up:

It would appear that there are metal straps around it to add strength. I don’t remember ever seeing this before. Any idea if this method was common? I believe it is brick, so maybe the straps were added sometime after it was built. It is unknown when the other smokestack was built but it obviously does not have those straps.

On both there is a platform partially up. What is the purpose of those and why in that location?

2

Straps : Adding straps to things for reinforcement was common reinforcement method, no idea how many chimneys had issues that they needed reinforcing.

Platforms : Platforms appear to be new, my guess would be emissions monitoring equipment has been installed in the stacks and the platforms give access to the equipment.

3

To follow up on Dave H’s answer.

Steel banding is often done on factory chimneys to prevent or stop cracks from progressing caused by any of following.

  1. Winds that rock a chimney continuously.
  2. Constant moisture from rain and condensation.
  3. Annual freezing weather.
  4. Accumulations of sulfuric and other acids that eat through concrete.
  5. Fluctuations in temperature
  6. Spent fuels soaking into the chimney liner or column.
  7. Different size explosions from improbably run boilers from runaway gases.
  8. Different size seismic activities.
  9. Lighting which has been known to suddenly create substantial cracking down t
4

The banding looks very similar to the banding that is often seen on concrete farm silos because of the preassure from the contents. As was said above there are a lot of other sources of stress on concrete. Concrete by itself does not have good tensile strenght (stetching).

5

The GE plant I worked in had a stack with steel banding.

Cleveland Wire Smoke Stack by Edmund, on Flickr

The stack was dismantled in 1973:

CWW_1_2013_0005 by Edmund, on Flickr

Ironic that you show that very steam plant as it was recently a subject in another forum concerning the elevated trackage and associated doorway leading directly into the plant. Someone in the industry had commented that you would ‘never’ see coal unloaded directly inside the plant.

Good Luck, Ed

6

This is a 1829 cotton mill smoke stack. They didn’t build it round and they didn’t use bands.

7

The old stack in Mt. Vernon, Washington, complete with metal bands:

8

A few years ago I stumbled across a series of videos featuring this Fred Dibnah fellow. A steeplejack and chimney wrecker.

Here’s an example:

I was amazed at some of his other videos on how to rig a ladder to the side of the stack. I’m not particularly in fear of heights but watching what this fellow used to do was, at times, a knucklebiter!

Cheers, Ed

9

That calls for a Mike Cross song. Dear Boss

https://youtu.be/CV8P59qAxSM

10

No mystery there. That was my thread, and when it was mentioned I went looking for pictures of The Cloud Factory. The smokestacks raised my curiosity.

11

The famous Sudbury ‘super-stack’ stands/stood 1250’ tall and is not banded. You can do an image search and see its immensity. It was the tallest chimney in the world for a number of years until the Kazahks built one taller.

12

In a lot of cases it depends on the types of brick used in building the stacks.

Here in the U.K. majority ( around 98%) of stacks made from bricks from The Leeds Brick Company were/are not banded. Brick companies in the Midlands generally had/have stacks banded.

David

13

I don’t think the Sudbury stack was erected with bricks, but with reinforced concrete. At least, its facade would suggest as much.

14

Hey, I resemble that remark. My assumption was originally that we were talking about a power generating station. not a steam generating station. I had said that I had never seen a power generating station where coal was unloaded inside the building, and that the spur going into the building was for the unloading/loading of turbime/generator or other items using the turbine building overhead crane.

Until someone definitely shows me a picture of something different, I will continue to believe that my comment was correct.