International Association of Scientific Innovation and Research (IASIR)

ISSN (Print): 2279-0020

(An Association Unifying the Sciences, Engineering, and Applied Research) ISSN (Online): 2279-0039

International Journal of Engineering, Business and Enterprise

Applications (IJEBEA)
www.iasir.net

SEISMIC ANALYSIS OF TALL TV TOWER COSIDERING

DIFFERENT BRACING SYSTEMS
Hemal J shah 1 Dr. Atul K Desai 2
a
Assistant Professor, Govt. Engineering College, Surat, INDIA.
b
Professor, Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, Surat, INDIA.

Abstract: Television towers are constructed to transmit the television signals on the wider areas and this
television towers are also used for the purpose of transmitting the radio as well as telecommunication signals.
These towers must be properly designed so that they will not fail during the natural disasters such as
earthquakes. In past researchers had studied the effect of different earthquakes on 3 legged tall
telecommunication towers. In the present study earthquake response of 4 towers of different height are studied
considering different bracing system of the tower. The towers of different height are modeled in SAP 2000
software and static and dynamic analysis of the tower has been carried out. In addition to this time history of
the bhuj earthquake is applied on all tower and the response of the tower is studied

Keywords: Television tower, seismic analysis, time history analysis, response of tower

I. Introduction
The television and telecommunication industry plays a great role in human societies and thus much more
attention is now being paid to telecommunication/tv towers than it was in the past. During the natural disasters
such as the earthquakes telecommunication and TV towers have the crucial task of instant transmission of
information from the affected areas to the rescue centres. So that relief works and evacuation of the people can be
done as early as possible, In addition, performance of infrastructure such as dams, electric, gas, and fuel
transmission stations, depends extensively on the information being transmitted via these towers. These tall
towers are also used by Military and defence industries so it create the necessity for further research on
telecommunication towers. There are three types of steel telecommunication towers mainly known to engineers as
guyed towers, self-supporting towers, and monopoles. Guyed towers normally provide an economical and
efficient solution for tall towers of 150 m and above, compared to self-supporting towers. Self-supporting towers
are categorized into two groups of 4-legged and 3-legged lattice towers.
The researchers have studied static and dynamic response of the 3 legged tv towers.as well as some tall tv towers
such as milad, cannon tv tower are also studied. In my work the actual drawings of the towers are collected from
the Indian government authorities. The various dimensions that is the width of the tower at base, height of the
tower and different bracing system used are studied. The bracing system provided in the tower must be such that
it has minimum weight so it gives less earthquake forces as well as higher stiffness so it can resist the earthquake
forces more efficiently. For the analysis purpose the 3 bracing system as shown in the figure.1 are considered to
study the earthquake response of the structure.
To study the effect of different system on television towers different height of the tower such as 80 meter, 110
meter, 150 meter and 175 meter is considered. The towers of this 4 different height considering cross type, M
type and K type bracing are modeled in SAP 2000 software. Figure 2 shows the model of 80 meter and 110 meter
high tower modeled in SAP 2000 software.

Fig. 1: Different bracing system of the towers

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 Hemal J shah et al., International Journal of Engineering, Business and Enterprise Applications, 7(1), December 2013- February 2014, pp.
113- 120

Fig. 2: Model of tower in SAP software

(a) 80 meter high tower (b) 110 meter high tower

Fig. 3 model of tower in SAP software

(a) 150 meter high tower (b) 175 meter high tower

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 Hemal J shah et al., International Journal of Engineering, Business and Enterprise Applications, 7(1), December 2013- February 2014, pp.
113- 120

After modeling all 12 towers in the sap software the towers were analyzed for the dead loads and result are
obtained. The static and dynamic seismic analysis of all the 12 towers considering following data as per Indian
standard I.S.- 1893-2002 has been carried out.
Data for static analysis:
1) Zone : Zone -II , Zone -III , Zone -IV and Zone - V
2) Type of soil : Type –II medium soil
3) Importance factor : 1.5
4) Response Reduction factor : 5
In addition to static analysis of the towers the dynamic analysis of the tower considering time history method is
also carried out. For time history method, the data of BHUJ earthquake occurred in Gujarat, India on 26 January
2001 is used and it is applied on the tower. The linear time history analysis of the tower has been carried out. The
details of bhuj earthquake are as under. Fig. 4 shows the acceleration time history of bhuj earthquake.
1) Name of time history : Bhuj
2) Magnitude : 7.7
3) Duration of earthquake: 133.53 second
4) Peak ground acceleration : 1.0382 m/sec2
5) Time for PGA : 46.940 second
6) Duration: long
7) Total no of acceleration records : 26706
8) Time step :0.005 second

Fig. 4 Acceleration time history of Bhuj earthquake

The static and dynamic analysis of all 12 towers has been carried out in sap software. The no of mode shapes
considered in dynamics analysis are such that dynamic participation factor is more than 90 percentage as per the
recommendation of the I.S. -1893-2002. To study the seismic response of all 12 towers the base shear due to
static and time history method has been compared. As the leg member near the ground level in each tower is
severely loaded by dead and seismic forces, the axial forces in the main leg member due to the dead+static load
case and dead + time history analysis has been considered.

Fig. 5 Base shear for 80 meter tower

BASE SHEAR FOR 80 MT TOWER

S
140 121 123
120 111 106
H
E 100 80
A
80 65 70 71
R 54
60 43 47
K 40
34 29 29
N
18
20
0

CROSS BRACING M BRACING K BRACING

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 Hemal J shah et al., International Journal of Engineering, Business and Enterprise Applications, 7(1), December 2013- February 2014, pp.
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Fig. 6 Axial Forces for 80 meter tower

AXIAL FORCE IN BOTTOM MEMBER FOR 80 MT TOWER
F
O 600 541523
R
C 500 445
397 396 384
E 400 339 338
296 283
I 300 224 242259263 262
N 188211
200 149
K 100
N
0

CROSS BRACING M BRACING K BRACING

Fig. 7 Base shear for 110 meter tower

BASE SHEAR FOR 110 MT TOWER

S
250 210
H 200 177
E 160
138
A 150 118
R 92 79
K 100 62
39 49
N 50 26 39 39
11 17
0

CROSS BRACING M BRACING K BRACING

Fig. 8 Axial Forces for 110 meter tower

AXIAL FORCE IN BOTTOM MEMBER FOR 110 MT TOWER

800
F
692709 695
700
O 597 571
R 600 533 543
C
486 488
500 407 427
E
400 323
276275
K 300 206223244
N 180
200
100
0

CROSS BRACING M BRACING K BRACING

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 Hemal J shah et al., International Journal of Engineering, Business and Enterprise Applications, 7(1), December 2013- February 2014, pp.
113- 120

Fig. 9 Base shear for 150 meter tower

BASE SHEAR FOR 150 MT

S
400 350360 331
H
350
E
300
250 220 210
A
R 200 138
150 98 95 115
91
K 100 40 63 25 40
60
N 50
0

CROSS
CROSS BRACING
BRACING M BRACINGM BRACINGK BRACING

Fig. 10 Axial Forces for 150 meter tower

AXIAL FORCE IN BOTTOM MEMBER FOR 150 MT

2500
2021
F
2000
O 1653
R 1408 1406
C 1500 1224 1170
1107
E 918 906986
1000 745845 647728672
K 487554594
N 500

CROSS BRACING M BRACING K BRACING

Fig. 11 Base shear for 175 meter tower

BASE SHEAR FOR 175 MT TOWER

S
450 383 384 380
H
400
E
350 293
300 255 253
A
R
250 198
200 170 169 164
132
K
150 106 105 88
N 100
55
50
0

CROSS
CROSS BRACING
BRACING M BRACINGM BRACINGK BRACING

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 Hemal J shah et al., International Journal of Engineering, Business and Enterprise Applications, 7(1), December 2013- February 2014, pp.
113- 120

Fig. 12 Axial Forces for 175 meter tower

AXIAL FORCE IN BOTTOM MEMBER FOR 175 MT TOWER

F 2500
O 1925
R 2000 1774
C 1607
1395 1399 1466
E 1500 1236 1260 1200
1107 1091
972 850 910 832
K 1000
704794
N 554
500

CROSS BRACING M BRACING K BRACING

II. Conclusions
Figure 5 to 12 shows the details of base shear for zone-2 to zone-5 as per I.S.-1893-2002 and Bhuj time history
considering different bracing system. The graph also shows the axial forces in bottom member of the tower for
different seismic zones.
The following conclusions were drawn from the study.
[1] As the height of tower increase the weight of the tower increase, and hence the earthquake forces at the
base i.e. base shear increases. We are getting maximum base shear for cross type bracing system in all
4 towers, hence the cross bracing is most uneconomical system for tall towers.
[2] For the 80 meter high tower we are getting minimum base shear in the M bracing system so it is
economical for the medium height tower up to 80 meter height.
[3] As the seismic zone changes the earthquake forces increases and the increase of forces are linear.
[4] We are getting minimum value of base shear in K type bracing for 110 meter, 150 meter and 175 meter
high towers. So K type bracing is most economical system to resist seismic forces for tall towers.
[5] The axial forces in bottom member due to the dead+ seismic forces are also less in m type bracing for
80 meter tower so it is economical bracing system for medium height towers.
[6] The axial forces in bottom member due to the dead+ seismic forces are less in K type bracing for 110
to 175 meter tower so K type system is economical bracing system tall tv towers.
[7] The base shear for 175 meter tower by static method is 31 percentages higher than dynamic method
so for seismic analysis of tall structures dynamic methods such as response spectrum or time history
method must be used.

III. References
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