Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 565-582(2007)
MODELING AND ANALYSIS OF LATTICE TOWERS WITH MORE ACCURATE MODELS
Wenjiang Kang 1, F. Albermani 2, S. Kitipornchai 1 and Heung-Fai Lam 1,*
1Department of Building & Construction, City University of Hong Kong,
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
*(Corresponding author: E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
2Department of Civil Engineering, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Received: 26 May 2005; Revised: 3 February 2007; Accepted: 14 February 2007
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ABSTRACT
In traditional design, transmission towers are assumed to be trusses in the calculation of member axial forces, and secondary braces are usually neglected. However, this assumption does not accurately reflect the structural characteristics of transmission towers. This paper proposes a finite element model (FEM) in which member continuity, the asymmetrical sectional properties of members, the eccentricity of connections, and geometrical and material nonlinearities are considered. The proposed FEM is first verified using experimental results, and is then employed in the analysis of several lattice towers to investigate some of their practical aspects. Recommendations on the design of transmission tower systems are made according to the results of the analysis and given in the conclusion.
KEYWORDS:
Transmission towers, secondary bracing, nonlinear analysis, buckling, eccentric connections
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