A Study on Failure of Cross Arms in Transmission Line Towers During Prototype Testing

In this paper, the need for testing of transmission line towers is emphasized. The failure of cross arms that constitute a part of the tower body is analyzed by the nonlinear finite element method. The finite element analysis results are compared with the test results and the reasons for failure are discussed in detail. The cross arm is modeled using beam and plate elements. Four different types of towers with cross arms are considered. The effect of inner triangulation formed by the redundant patterns on the cross arm performance is studied. The effect of staggering secondary bracings in elevation and plan of the cross arm and detailing of cross arm tips (loading points) are also studied.