A truss arch tower is a large-span arch structure with multiple skewbacks. This tower is made of a large number of members with unique form, and contains more than five kinds of geometric features. The wind forces and the corresponding wind effects on the truss arch tower are notably complicated. In this study, wind tunnel tests were conducted to evaluate the wind forces on the steel latticed structure mentioned above using the high-frequency base balance technique. Four segmental models, including one arch foot of main truss, two arch feet of sub-truss, and one arch crown of main truss were tested in nominally smooth flow. The drag forces were measured and compared with several existing codes, including the British, American, and Chinese codes. The incidence angle effects and the interference effects on the drag coefficient were analyzed. The testing results showed that the direction of the wind forces has a marked effect on the whole truss tower. The solidity ratio and layout of the segmental models, including the cross-section and the centerline of the members, have critical effects on the drag forces.
AllegriniJMaesschalckJAlessiG, et al. (2018) Porous and geometry-resolved CFD modelling of a lattice transmission tower validated by drag force and flow field measurements. Engineering Structures168: 462–472.
2.
ANSI (2006) Structural Standard for Antenna Supporting Structures and Antennas. Arlington, VA: Telecommunications Industry Association.
3.
AsgarianBDadrasEslamlou SEZaghiA, et al. (2016) Progressive collapse analysis of power transmission towers. Journal of Constructional Steel Research123: 31–40.
4.
BayarDC (1986) Drag coefficients of latticed towers. Journal of Structural Engineering112(2): 417–430.
5.
BSI (1986) Lattice Tower and Masts—Part 1: Code of Practice for Loading. London: British Standards Institution.
6.
BSI (2005) Eurocode 1: Actions on Structures—Part 1—: General Actions—Wind Actions. London: British Standards Institution.
7.
BSI (2013) Overhead Electrical Lines Exceeding AC 1 kV —Part 1: General Requirement—Common Specifications. London: British Standards Institution.
8.
CalotescuISolariG (2016) Alongwind load effects on free-standing lattice towers. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics155: 182–196.
9.
CarrilCFIsyumovNBrasilRMLRF (2003) Experimental study of the wind forces on rectangular latticed communication towers with antennas. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics91: 1007–1022.
10.
CEPPEI (2012) Technical Code for the Design of Tower and Pole Structures of Overhead Transmission Lines. Beijing, China: China Planning Press.
11.
ChenXKareemA (2005) Validity of wind load distribution based on high frequency force balance measurements. Journal of Structural Engineering131: 984–987.
12.
DengHZXuHJDuanCY, et al. (2016) Experimental and numerical study on the responses of a transmission tower to skew incident winds. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics157: 171–188.
13.
FuJYLiQS (2007) Wind effects on the world’s longest spatial lattice structure: loading characteristics and numerical prediction. Journal of Constructional Steel Research63: 1341–1350.
14.
GeorgakisCTStøttrup-AndersenUJohnsenM, et al. (2009) Drag coefficients of lattice masts from full-scale wind-tunnel tests. In:5th European African Conference on Wind Engineering, Florence, 19–23 July.
15.
GeorgiouPNVickeryBJ (1980) Wind loads on building frames. Wind Engineering1: 421–433.
16.
HolmesJD (2008) Recent developments in the specification of wind loads on transmission lines. Journal of Wind & Engineering5: 8–18.
17.
LiYLiZYanB, et al. (2017) Wind forces on circular steel tubular lattice structures with inclined leg members. Engineering Structures153: 253–263.
18.
LiuQKShaoQZhengYF, et al. (2016) Experimental study on Reynolds number effect on aerodynamic pressure and forces of cylinder. Journal of Experiments in Fluid Mechanics30: 7–13. (In Chinese)
19.
MaraTGGalsworthyJK (2011) Comparison of model-scale and full-scale wind tunnel test results for a typical 3-dimensional lattice frame. In:13th International Conference on Wind Engineering, Amsterdam, 10–15 July.
20.
MOHURD (2012) Load Code for the Design of Building Structures. Beijing, China: China Architecture and Building Press.
21.
MoonBWParkJHLeeSK, et al. (2009) Performance evaluation of a transmission tower by substructure test. Journal of Constructional Steel Research65: 1–11.
Prud’hommeSLegeronFLangloisS (2018) Calculation of wind forces on lattice structures made of round bars by a local approach. Engineering Structures156: 548–555.
24.
Prud’hommeSLegeronFLanevilleA, et al. (2014) Wind forces on single and shielded angle members in lattice structures. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics124: 20–28.
25.
SEI (2010) Guidelines for Electrical Transmission Line Structural Loading. Reston, VA: American Society of Civil Engineering
26.
SimiuEScanlanRH (1996) Wind Loads on Structures. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.
27.
WhitbreadRE (1980) The influence of shielding on the wind forces experienced by arrays of lattice frames. Wind Engineering1: 405–420.
28.
XieJMGarberJ (2014) HFFB technique and its validation studies. Wind and Structures18: 375–389.
29.
XieQCaiYZXueST (2017) Wind-induced vibration of UHV transmission tower line system: wind tunnel test on aero-elastic model. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics171: 219–229.
30.
YangFLDangHXNiuHW, et al. (2016) Wind tunnel tests on wind loads acting on an angled steel triangular transmission tower. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics156: 93–103.
31.
ZhangJWLiQS (2017) Wind tunnel test and field measurement study of wind effects on a 600-m-high super-tall building. The Structural Design of Tall and Special Buildings26(11): e1385.
32.
ZhangWMGeYJ (2017) Wind tunnel investigation on flutter and buffeting of a three-tower suspension bridge. Wind and Structures24: 367–384.
33.
ZhangWMQianKRWangL, et al. (2019a) Aerostatic instability mode analysis of three-tower suspension bridges via strain energy and dynamic characteristics. Wind and Structures29: 163–175.
34.
ZhangWMQianKRXieL, et al. (2019b) An iterative approach for time-domain flutter analysis of bridges based on restart technique. Wind and Structures28: 171–180.
