Evaluation of the Ultimate Collapse Load of a High-Voltage Transmission Tower under Excessive Wind Loads
Several high-voltage transmission towers failed under excessive wind loads in a mountainous and exposed area. This study discusses the efficient and reliable modeling of lattice towers dominantly loaded by wind, a scenario which led to a collapse cascade in a high-voltage transmission line. The ulti...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Buildings |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/13/2/513 |
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| author | Giacomo Vettoretto Zongchen Li Christian Affolter |
| author_facet | Giacomo Vettoretto Zongchen Li Christian Affolter |
| author_sort | Giacomo Vettoretto |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Several high-voltage transmission towers failed under excessive wind loads in a mountainous and exposed area. This study discusses the efficient and reliable modeling of lattice towers dominantly loaded by wind, a scenario which led to a collapse cascade in a high-voltage transmission line. The ultimate load-bearing capacity had to be estimated and the failure positions identified. Finite Element Analysis was employed through static analyses, Linear Buckling Analyses (LBA) and RIKS analyses (Arc-Length method) in Abaqus 2021. With the purpose of improving the accuracy in the simulation of structural instabilities of complex lattice structures, the model sensitivity to superimposed geometrical imperfections and the joint stiffness of the truss connections were investigated in brace and lattice structure sub-assemblies. Afterwards, linear analyses and non-linear analyses with imperfections were performed on the single tower model. The analysis proved that solely excessive wind can cause such failure on the lattice structures, and the critical structural elements have been correctly identified. The investigation proved that the towers had not been under-designed with respect to the standards valid at the time of erection. However, they were not designed for this exceptional storm event, and evidence was provided that wind alone could bring about the collapse. It is nevertheless not recommended to increase the safety factors in general for the design of such structures, but to base the assumed loading on actual and local wind and service load measurements. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:03:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7d1cb22ba08c4ee5a219ae410cc2e815 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-5309 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:03:06Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Buildings |
| spelling | doaj.art-7d1cb22ba08c4ee5a219ae410cc2e8152023-11-16T19:33:46ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092023-02-0113251310.3390/buildings13020513Evaluation of the Ultimate Collapse Load of a High-Voltage Transmission Tower under Excessive Wind LoadsGiacomo Vettoretto0Zongchen Li1Christian Affolter2Mechanical Systems Engineering, EMPA Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, 8600 Duebendorf, SwitzerlandMechanical Systems Engineering, EMPA Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, 8600 Duebendorf, SwitzerlandMechanical Systems Engineering, EMPA Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, 8600 Duebendorf, SwitzerlandSeveral high-voltage transmission towers failed under excessive wind loads in a mountainous and exposed area. This study discusses the efficient and reliable modeling of lattice towers dominantly loaded by wind, a scenario which led to a collapse cascade in a high-voltage transmission line. The ultimate load-bearing capacity had to be estimated and the failure positions identified. Finite Element Analysis was employed through static analyses, Linear Buckling Analyses (LBA) and RIKS analyses (Arc-Length method) in Abaqus 2021. With the purpose of improving the accuracy in the simulation of structural instabilities of complex lattice structures, the model sensitivity to superimposed geometrical imperfections and the joint stiffness of the truss connections were investigated in brace and lattice structure sub-assemblies. Afterwards, linear analyses and non-linear analyses with imperfections were performed on the single tower model. The analysis proved that solely excessive wind can cause such failure on the lattice structures, and the critical structural elements have been correctly identified. The investigation proved that the towers had not been under-designed with respect to the standards valid at the time of erection. However, they were not designed for this exceptional storm event, and evidence was provided that wind alone could bring about the collapse. It is nevertheless not recommended to increase the safety factors in general for the design of such structures, but to base the assumed loading on actual and local wind and service load measurements.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/13/2/513lattice structuresFinite Element Analysis (FEA)structural instabilitieslinear-buckling analysis LBApost-buckling analysis |
| spellingShingle | Giacomo Vettoretto Zongchen Li Christian Affolter Evaluation of the Ultimate Collapse Load of a High-Voltage Transmission Tower under Excessive Wind Loads Buildings lattice structures Finite Element Analysis (FEA) structural instabilities linear-buckling analysis LBA post-buckling analysis |
| title | Evaluation of the Ultimate Collapse Load of a High-Voltage Transmission Tower under Excessive Wind Loads |
| title_full | Evaluation of the Ultimate Collapse Load of a High-Voltage Transmission Tower under Excessive Wind Loads |
| title_fullStr | Evaluation of the Ultimate Collapse Load of a High-Voltage Transmission Tower under Excessive Wind Loads |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluation of the Ultimate Collapse Load of a High-Voltage Transmission Tower under Excessive Wind Loads |
| title_short | Evaluation of the Ultimate Collapse Load of a High-Voltage Transmission Tower under Excessive Wind Loads |
| title_sort | evaluation of the ultimate collapse load of a high voltage transmission tower under excessive wind loads |
| topic | lattice structures Finite Element Analysis (FEA) structural instabilities linear-buckling analysis LBA post-buckling analysis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/13/2/513 |
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