ANALYTICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES ON 400 kV S/C PORTAL-TYPE GUYED TOWERS

The experimental and analytical behavior of 400 kV S/C portal-type guyed towers under different loading conditions is presented. The portal-type tower essentially consists of two masts extending outward in the transverse direction from the beam level to the ground. In addition, two sets of guys connected at the ground level project outward along the longitudinal axes and converge in the transverse axes. The experimental behavior of the guyed tower is compared with the results of finite element analysis. The 400 kV portal-type guyed towers with III and IVI type insulator strings are analyzed using finite element software. Full scale tower test results are verified through comparison with the results of the finite element analysis. The initial prestress in the guys is allowed to vary from 5% to 15% in the finite element modeling. The effect of prestress variation of the guys on the tower behavior is also studied.