Compared with the wet cooling tower in same capacity units, the indirect dry cooling tower has larger structure size and more sensitive to wind pressure, which is the primary load for tower. The external surface roughness of tower cylinder was increased by strengthening ribs, with decreases in the distribution coefficient of wind pressure and the internal forces of tower cylinder, diagonal column and circular foundation. Combined with practical work, distribution coefficient of wind pressure, forced character and local stability of indirect dry cooling tower with ribs were calculated and analyzed compared with those of tower without ribs, which can provide theoretical basis for structure design of indirect dry cooling tower.