Critical assessment of the design of an electric transmission tower

Present paper focuses on the critical assessment of the response of an electric transmission tower designed under gravity and wind loads according to available dedicated norms. Available numerical tools are used, with reference to different types of structural analyses. The tower has been initially designed according to the existing rules and under some common assumptions, using the TOWER software. In order to validate this design, the tower has then been simulated with the FINELG non-linear finite element software using beam elements, considering relevant imperfections as well as geometrical and material non-linearities. Different types of analyses have also been performed: first and second order linear elastic analyses, elastic instability analysis and second order plastic analyses. The results of those analyses as well as their critical assessment are summarized in the present paper. This study is a part of an ongoing European-funded RFCS project called ANGELHY involving National Technical University of Athens (NTUA - coordinator), CTICM (France), Liège University and ArcelorMittal and SIKA companies.