Telecommunication and transmission lattice towers from angle sections – the ANGELHY project

Abstract

Lattice towers are extensively built in Europe and worldwide to serve telecommunication or power transmission purposes. The structural members of such towers are frequently made of equal leg angle sections that are often preferred to tubular sections due to their easy connection that results in a simple erection, a requirement set by most telecommunication or power providers. Angle sizes range from light to heavy sections with leg lengths up to 300 mm for towers with significant height. Towers, especially telecommunication ones, may need to be strengthened due to the fact that, during the design life, heavier or larger antennas resulting in a heavier wind loading may be installed. As an alternative to conventional methods, hybrid strengthening of tower angle members with carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) strips may be employed. The present paper provides an overview of ANGELHY, an RFCS‐funded research project that comes toward its end. The scope of the project is the establishment of analysis methods for lattice towers and the development of design rules for steel and hybrid angle sections, as well as built‐up members composed of angles.

Experimental investigations on rolled angle sections reinforced with CFRP plates

“…They give very good results when the angles are subjected to weak axis bending, while they are conservative when the angles are subjected to strong axis bending. This paper presents an experimental campaign that includes five (5) three-point bending tests and sixteen (16) compression tests on hybrid angle members strengthened with CFRP plates [8]. The test results were compared with previous similar tests on angle members without strengthening.…”

Buckling resistance of angle bracing members with one‐leg bolted end connections

“…The second methodology for the design of angle members, developed in the framework of the European RFCS project ANGELHY [10], [11] and recently incorporated in Annex F of prEN 1993-3 [6], approaches the problem in a different and more rational perspective. In fact, prEN 1993-3 (Annex F) [6] is the only European standard providing interaction formulae for the buckling verification of pinned ended angle members under combined axial compressive force and biaxial bending.…”

Load carrying capacity of star‐battened angle members made of S460 steel in compression

“…Although new steels have been recently developed, the lack of evolution concerning their use in electrical pylons is due to the slow evolution of the extremely strict normative context to which the design, fabrication and production of steel structures (EC3) and in particular steel structures for overhead electrical lines (EN 50341) are subjected. However, in the framework of the recently finished European RFCS project ANGELHY [6], existing Euro-…”