Collapse Simulations of Communication Tower Subjected to Wind Loads Using Dynamic Explicit Method

Abstract

Given the premise that a communication tower is a vital infrastructure that may collapse when encountering a wind disaster, this paper focused on investigating the collapse mechanism and collapse fragility of a communication tower subjected to wind loads. In this paper, a finite-element (FE) model of a 60-m-tall communication tower that collapsed under wind loads was created in ABAQUS (version 6.10). The wind-induced response was studied considering member buckling, and the Tian-Ma-Qu material model was used. Based on the dynamic explicit method, collapse simulations of the tower were performed with different wind attack angles using the incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) method. Subsequently, the weak position and the collapse mechanism of the tower were summarized. The results indicated that the Tian-Ma-Qu material model was effective in simulating the collapse of communication towers; the buckling of the main members was the governing reason for the progressive collapse of the tower. Thus, the main members should be strengthened in the design. Furthermore, the collapse fragility analysis of the tower was investigated, and the influence of the wind attack angle was discussed. The results demonstrated that the wind attack angle had a significant impact on the collapse fragility curve and the ultimate capacity.