Full-scale test and numerical failure analysis of a latticed steel tubular transmission tower

Ultimate capacity evaluation is of vital importance for electricity transmission tower-line systems, which are well recognized as the lifeline engineering in modern society. Undoubtedly, full-scale tests are the most effective and straightforward method for an in-depth understanding of the structural ultimate capacity. In the present study, full-scale tests of a latticed steel tubular transmission tower are performed with emphasis on the failure mechanism of the tower under extreme wind load. Structural responses, ultimate capacity and failure mechanism of the transmission tower in the tests are presented and discussed, respectively. Numerical simulations are then carried out to reproduce the failure of the transmission tower in the tests. In the finite element (FE) model, a buckling and softening failure model is developed to capture the behaviors of the transmission tower. Finally, numerical results are investigated and compared with those obtained in the full-scale tests. Experimental and numerical results demonstrate that the latticed steel tubular transmission tower is designed with enough capacity to resist the designed loads, and the buckling failures of leg members are the dominant cause of the collapse of the transmission tower. Additionally, the developed buckling and softening failure model can accurately reproduce the displacements, ultimate capacity and failure mechanism of the transmission tower. This research can extend the current state of knowledge concerning full-scale tests of latticed transmission towers, and provide a more comprehensive understanding of the performance of latticed steel tubular transmission towers under extreme loads.