Schifflerised angle sections for triangular-based communication towers

摘要

This paper is concerned with the use of Schifflerised angle sections for triangular-based lattice communication towers. The torsional-flexural buckling properties of conventional 90°, 60° and schifflerised angles are compared. The experimental results obtained from the compression tests conducted on three different sizes of schifflerised angle sections are compared with the analytical results predicted from finite element analysis and with the capacities predicted from the procedure given in the literature. The capacity of schifflerised angles are underestimated by the methods suggested in the literature. The FE model non-linear analysis predicts the failure loads closer to the test results with a variation of—3 to 10%. The strength of schifflerised angles is 5 to 20% higher compared to conventional 90° angles. The behaviour of 60 m high three-legged triangular communication tower with schifflerised angles for leg members and conventional equal angles for all other members tested at Tower Testing and Research Station, CSIR-Structural Engineering Research Centre, Chennai is presented. NE-NASTRAN, a finite element software, is used to model the tower using beam column and plate shell elements for predicting the behaviour. The analytical and test results are compared with the codal provisions.