Selection of Suitable Bracing System for a Communication Tower at Various Wind Zones

Steel Bracing is a structural system which transfers lateral loads (seismic loads and wind loads) into soil bypassing columns, beams which are designed only for gravity loads. Communication towers are very prone to wind loads such that they are need to be designed to resist wind loads to make the structure at least for life safe in the event of natural calamities like HUD-HUD. In the present study communication tower has been modeled and analyzed in STAAD. Pro V8.i. For this model different types of steel bracing systems like X, V, K, Y systems were assigned. These bracing systems were modeled by considering 3 different steel sections like Pipe section, angular section and multi section (pipe section for columns, angular section for beams and bracings) 24 models with bracing system have been developed to run for wind analysis at wind speeds of 33m/s,39m/s,44m/s,47m/s.50m/s,55m/s in STAAD. Pro V8.i. After comparison of various parameters like displacement, axial force, support reactions ,steel quantity between these 24 models it was found that steel angular section with Y bracing system and X-bracing system perform well in the event of selected wind zones. When compared with V-Bracing system 85.97 % of displacement has been reduced to the tower with X-Bracing system along with angular section at wind speed of 55 m/ When compared with Y-Bracing system 57.69 % of Support reaction (FX) has been reduced to the tower with X-Bracing system along with angular section at wind speed of 55 m/s , When compared with K-Bracing system 66.58 % of Support reaction (FY) has been reduced to the tower with X-Bracing system along with angular section at wind speed of 55 m/s , When compared with K-Bracing system 68.77 % of Axial force has been reduced to the tower with X-Bracing system along with angular section at wind speed of 55 m/s, When compared with V-Bracing system 57.14 % of steel quantity has been reduced to the tower with Y-Bracing system along with angular section at wind speed of 55 m/s.