Calculating guyed towers without using finite elements

Abstract

Based on the equivalent beam-column method, this paper develops a new formulation for the analysis of guyed towers. The method proposes the calculation of the second order deformation using the stability functions. For this purpose, the tower is modelled as a continuous equivalent beam-column, on non-linear elastic supports, for which the axial stiffness, flexural stiffness, and shear stiffness are calculated depending on the pattern construction of the tower. The guys are replaced by non-linear elastic supports for which the spring constant is obtained from the secant modulus of the cables. In order to validate the proposed method, a comparative study is carried out between the proposed method and the finite element method on a 150metre-high guyed tower using the SAP2000 software