ISBN 978-952-5726-06-0
Proceedings of the 2009 International Workshop on Information Security and Application (IWISA 2009)
Study of the Initial Prestress for Guyed
Transmission Tower
Wei Kong, Xin Xiong, and Qinglian Xue
Northeast Dianli University / School of Civil Engineering, Jilin, China
Email: gflkw @163.com
Abstract—In this paper the conception of initial equilibrium
state is introduced to analyze the strained condition of
guyed transmission tower for the first time. Principle of
finite-element method is applied to deduce the stiffness
matrix which is based on UL (Update Lagrange Description)
method with the consideration of bi-nonlinearity, also, the
stiffness matrix of beam element with one rigid joint and
one hinged joint is worked out. Taking a guyed transmission
tower as an example, cable-beam assembly nonlinear finite
element model is built by using general finite analytic
software ANSYS. On these bases, the initial prestress of
guyed transmission tower under initial equilibrium state is
figured out. At last, the result of numerical analysis is
proved by model test.
Index Terms—guyed transmission tower, initial equilibrium
state, prestress, nonlinear finite element
I. INTRODUCTION
Guyed transmission tower is mainly composed of
angle steels and stay guy which is characterized by self-
equilibrium pre-stress. Connection mode of guyed
transmission tower is different from that of self-
supporting transmission tower. The connection mode
between column and foundation applies spherical hinge
joint, at the same time connection mode between column
and cross-arm applies unidirectional hinge joint (see Fig.
1 and Fig. 2). Under every working condition, the stay
guy is used to balance the lateral loads, while tower body
is used to balance the vertical load. Mechanical
characteristics of stay guy and steels are given full play,
so the steel is saved. As one kind of prestress space
structure, the states of
Figure 1. Front elevation .
Figure 2. Top viewport .
Project supported by the technology research project of Northeast
China Grid Company Limited of China.
© 2009 ACADEMY PUBLISHER
AP-PROC-CS-09CN004
Qingdao, China, November 21-22, 2009
guyed transmission tower can be divided into null state,
original state and working state. Aggregation of cable and
truss which are processed is named null state of the
structure. Self-equilibrating state when initial stress has
been applied is named original state of the structure. The
equilibrium state after the exterior load has been applied
is named working state[4]. Unlike common prestressed
structure, prestress which is imposed upon the guyed
transmission tower is one important factor of global
stiffness. The shape of structure, self-stress, structure
stiffness will change when the pre-stress changes. So the
accurate calculation of the distribution of prestressed
under the initial state the guyed transmission tower is one
important factor which cannot be ignored in the process
of the design and construction. But in the book named
High Voltage Transmission Lines Design Manual of
Power Engineering the Second Edition ignored the
calculation under this state in the design of guyed
transmission tower. The cable-beam assembly nonlinear
finite element model of this kind of tower is built by
ANSYS software in this paper under the above
background. Then the distribution of prestress is figured
out, and the result of numerical analysis is proved by
model test.
II. FINITE ELEMENT MODEL
A. Basic Assumptions
It is a kind of isotropical hardened material in keeping
with V.Mises initial yield condition and interrelated flow
rule. The movement of the structure is characterized by
large displacement and small deformation.
Component processing, the installation of the initial
error and material defects are neglected.
Nodes are ideal space rigid joint or ideal space hinged
joint.
Bar unit endures axial force, and cable unit endures
pulling force, and beam unit is Timoshenko beam unit
whose shear strain and section warping is ignored.
B. Choose of the Lagrange Description Method
There are UL and TL(Total Langrange Description
Method) two methods which are used to distribute the
nonlinearity of objects. The main difference is in that TL
method used configuration of time t0 as reference
configuration while UL method used configuration of
time t as reference configuration. The reference
configuration of time t can avoid the solving the initial
405
displacement stiffness matrix, and its stiffness matrix is is material constant, and h is plastic modulus.
simpler. At the same time, TL method can used to solve T
the problems of moderate rotation, but the UL method ­ wf wf wf wf wf wf ½
can get accurate results even to large rotation problem
^’f ` ® wV y wW xy wW yz
¾ .
under the appropriate load step[1]. Therefore, the UL
¯ wV x wV z wW zx ¿

method is applied in this paper to distribute structural Therefore㧘element stiffness matrixes for bar unit with
nonlinear. the consideration of bi-nonlinearity which is based on UL
method can be expressed as:
C. Element Stiffness Matrixes for Bar Unit Based on the
Material Nonlinearity and Geometric Nonlinearity t t t
ª¬ K p º¼ ª¬ K Lp º¼  ª¬ K Np º¼
There is derivation of element stiffness matrixe for bar (6)
unit in Ref. [3] with the consideration of geometric t t t
ª¬ K L º¼  ª¬ K N º¼  ª¬ K P º¼
nonlinearity.
t
>K @ t
>K @  >K @ L
t
N (1) t
>K @
P ³ t
V
§ Tª pº Tª pº · t
¨ > BL @ « DT »> BL @> BL @ « DT »> BN @ ¸ ˜ dV
© ¬ ¼ ¬ ¼ ¹
(7)
T t § Tª pº Tª pº · t
t
>K @ L ³ t V > BL @ > D @> B @ ˜T L
dV (2) ³ t
V ¨ > BN @ « DT »> BL @> BN @ « DT »> BN @ ¸ ˜ dV
© ¬ ¼ ¬ ¼ ¹
t
Here > K @ is plastic correction matrix.
 
t
t
>K @N
T
³ t V > BL @ > DT @> BN @> BN @ > DT @> BL @ ˜ dV
T P
The expression of beam element stiffness matrixes
(3)
T t with the consideration of bi-nonlinearity can be deduced
 ³ t V > BN @ > D @> B @ ˜ dV
T N in a similar way therefore will not be discussed here.
t t D. Treatment of Nonlinear Space Cable Unit
Where: >K L @ is linear stiffness matrixe, and >K N @
Cable is a kind of flexible construction whose change
is nonlinear stiffness matrixe. > BL @ is linear strain matrix, in length includes elastic stretching and sag fix under the
and > BN @ is nonlinear strain matrix. > DT @ is linear effect of deadweight and tension. The stay guy of guyed
transmission tower has the characteristic of high tension
elastic matrix. and small span. According to Ref. [5], the authors use
According to Ref. [6], uilibrium equation described by Ernst formula to modify slack and sag of the cable on the
geometric nonlinearity holds even for bi-nonlinear basis of bar unit, that is to modify the elastic modulus of
problem if the linear elastic matrix > DT @ is replaced by cable unit.
Cable units only endure axial tensile stress. In the
elastic plastic matrix >D @ ep
T in rigidity matrix.
calculation process, if the internal force of cable unit is
Furthermore, elastic plastic matrix can be regard as an negative, making it zero, and removing the contribution
superposition of elastic matrix and plastic matrix, and the of cable unit stiffness on the entire structure.
following expressions are valid.
E. Condensation of Element Degrees of Freedom and
t t
T Coordinate Transformation of Characteristic Matrix
ª¬ K º¼ ³ t V > BL @ ª¬ D º¼ > BL @ ˜ dV
p
L
ep
T
(4) There are three types of element existing in the finite
t
t T element model of guyed transmission tower, including
>K @  ³ >B @
L
t
V L
ª¬ D º¼ > BL @ ˜ dV
T
p
ordinary beam element, bar element and cable element,
and meanwhile in the model there is beam element with
t t one rigid joint and one hinged joint. So it should use a
ª¬ K Np º¼ ³ tV §¨ > BL @T ª« DTep º»> BN @> BN @T ª« DTep º»> BL @ ·¸ ˜ dV uniform expression form for stiffness matrix of each
© ¬ ¼ ¬ ¼ ¹
T t element before assembling global stiffness matrix.
 ³ t V > BN @ ª¬ DTep º¼ > BN @ ˜ dV The first case: condensation of rod-cable element
(5)
t T t degrees of freedom.
>K @  ³ >B @
N
t
V L
ª¬ D º¼ > BN @ ˜ dV
T
p
Each node of beam element has three line
t displacements and three angular displacements, and each
§ ·
 ³ t V ¨ > BN @T ª« DTp º»> BL @> BN @T ª« DTp º»> BN @ ¸ ˜ dV node of bar element only has three line displacements,
© ¬ ¼ ¬ ¼ ¹
then it just need to expand the rod-cable element stiffness
p matrix to 12 * 12 matrix, compared with the beam
Where: ª¬ DT º¼ is plastic matrix, and its expression as
element stiffness matrix, adding zero elements in the
T rows and columns related with angular displacement to
p
D > DT @^’f `^’f `>D @ . T
following, ª¬ D º¼ T T
Here D ensure them maintain the same order of the element
h  ^’f ` > D @^’f ` T
stiffness matrix.
The second case: condensation of degrees of freedom
of beam element with one rigid joint and one hinged joint.

406
 Assumed that beam element with node i (rigid) and j t t 't t

(hinged), the balance equation of the beam element is: > K @ d ^u` ^R`  ^F` (11)
t
ª k11 k12 k13 k14 º ­ ui ½ ­ Ni ½ Where: > K @ is the total tangent stiffness matrix of the
«k 21 k 22 k 23 k 24 » °
°T i °° °° M i °°
structure at time t, d ^u` is the nodes displacement
«k k32 k33 k34
» ®u ¾ ®N ¾ (8)
« 31 »° j° ° j° increment vector from time t to t+t,
t 't
^R` is the node
«¬k 41 k 42 k 43 k 44 »¼ °
¯T j °¿ °¯M j °¿ t
load vector at time t+t, ^F` is the equivalent nodes
Where: k mn (m, n = 1-4) is 3 * 3 matrix (partitioning of
load vector at time t.
element stiffness matrix); ui , T i , N i and M i is According to Ref. [3], using Newton-Raphson iterative
respectively line displacement vector, angular method to calculate is better to reflect the merits of UL,
displacement vector, node internal force vector and so this method is adopted in this paper. The influence that
deformation has on structural stiffness in the process of
moment vector of node i; u j , T j , N j and M j is
finite element calculate is treated with large deformation
respectively line displacement vector, angular effects and stress stiffening effects.
displacement vector, node internal force vector and
moment vector of node j. ċ. CALCULATING EXAMPLE
M j =0ˈthen the forth formula of (8) shows
Taking LM21 (33m) guyed tower in DongChangHa
transmission line as an example, establish a finite element
Tj
1

 k 44 k 41ui  k 42T i  k 43u j  (9) model. Principals and diaphragm were simulated by
Beam189 in the model, auxiliary bars are simulated by
We can see from (9): hinged end angular displacement Link8, and stay guys are simulated by Link10. The pre-
of beam element is not necessarily zero, and it is related stress of stay guys was carried out by using the method of
with stiffness matrix, node line displacement and angular initial strain simulation, this method can consider the
displacement of the other side. contribution of cable element stiffness on global stiffness
Substituting (9) into the first three formulas of (8), it of the structure. Furthermore, it can solve two problems:
can get equilibrium equations of beam element with one balance of node prestress and the deformation harmony
rigid joint and one hinged joint after condensation: of cable. Hinge between cross arm and main column was
carried out by mans of freedom degree coupling.
ª k11  k14 k 441k 41 k12  k14 k 441k42 k13  k14 k 441k 43 º ­ ui ½ The table below lists the numerical analysis and
«k  k k 1k k  k k 1k k  k k 1k » °T ° measured results comparison of axial force (see table ĉ).
« 21 24 441 41 22 24 441 42 23 24 441 43 » ® i ¾
«¬ k31  k34 k44 k 41 k32  k34 k 44 k 42 k33  k34 k44 k43 »¼ °¯u j °¿ Č. CONCLUSION
­ Ni ½ From Table ĉ, we can see most of the numerical
° ° analysis results are larger than the measured values. The
®M i ¾
°¯ N j °¿ reason for this error is mainly due to the straining of the
bars can not be measured under the effect of deadweight.
(10)
Adding zero elements in the related rows and columns TABLE I.
by condensation in the beam element stiffness matrix,so COMPARISON OF NUMERICAL ANALYSIS AND TEST RESULTS
as to maintain the original order of the element stiffness Value of
Measuring Measured
matrix. point
Numerical
value Error Remarks
After condensation , all element stiffness matrixes Analysis
number (MPa)
(MPa)
become 12 * 12 matrix, and then using the coordinate
transformation matrix >O0 @ , transform the element 1 37.99 40.11 0.05 Iron274

characteristic matrix in the local coordinate to the system 2 32.37 24.68 -0.31
Iron236
global coordinate, at last assemble the stiffness matrix, 3 32.38 24.5 -0.32
displacement vector and load vector.
4 24.57 22.19 -0.11
Iron272
F. Establishing and Solving of Nonlinear Finite Element 5 24.94 22.47 -0.11
Equilibrium Equations
6 33.21 32.74 -0.01 Iron153
Under initial prestress state, the guyed transmission
7 12.89 12.26 -0.05
tower reach balance state of self-stress by the role of
prestress and gravity. In this process, based on UL 8 14.34 13.83 -0.04 Iron
method, in the overall coordinate system, the load step 9 13.45 13 -0.03 301-303
from time t to WǻW, the non-linear incremental
10 13.87 12.94 -0.07
equilibrium equations of the structure is:

407
 Table ĉ shows that some member bars have relatively
big errors. The reason is in that all nodes in numerical
analysis are ideal while allowable space has been shown
between node and bolt in practical engineering. For this
reason, element 274 sustains pulling force which is
applied by stay guy in the process of stretch-draw. After
this element is out of shape, the member bars connected
with 274 come into effect. This also explains why the
element 274 which is satisfied with the design
requirements produces obvious bending deflection.
Furthermore, detail design of member bars which
connected with stay guy must be taken into consideration
during the design of prestress space steel structure.
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