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Wind and Structures Volume 13, Number 5, September 2010, pages 451-469 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12989/was.2010.13.5.451 |
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Finite element modelling of transmission line structures under tornado wind loading |
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A. Hamada, A.A. El Damatty, H. Hangan and A.Y. Shehata
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| Abstract | ||
| The majority of weather-related failures of transmission line structures that have occurred in the past have been attributed to high intensity localized wind events, in the form of tornadoes and downbursts. A numerical scheme is developed in the current study to assess the performance of transmission lines under tornado wind load events. The tornado wind field is based on a model scale Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) analysis that was conducted and validated in a previous study. Using field measurements and code specifications, the CFD model data is used to estimate the wind fields for F4 and F2 full scale tornadoes. The wind forces associated with these tornado fields are evaluated and later incorporated into a nonlinear finite element three-dimensional model for the transmission line system, which includes a simulation for the towers and the conductors. A comparison is carried between the forces in the members resulting from the tornadoes, and those obtained using the conventional design wind loads. The study reveals the importance of considering tornadoes when designing transmission line structures. | ||
| Key Words | ||
| tornado; finite element; transmission line; transmission tower; wind load. | ||
| Address | ||
| A. Hamada and A.A. El Damatty: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B9 H. Hangan: Alan G. Davenport Wind Engineering Group, The Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada A.Y. Shehata: Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada | ||