Engineering Structures 152 (2017) 597606

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Engineering Structures
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/engstruct

Analysis of guyed masts by the stability functions based on the

Timoshenko beam-column
Pablo M. Pez , Beradi Sensale
Facultad de Ingeniera, Universidad de la Repblica, Julio Herrera y Reissig 565, Montevideo, Uruguay

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: A new formulation for the analysis of guyed towers in which the mast is modeled as a continuous equiv-
Received 11 July 2017 alent beam-column on non-linear elastic supports, is proposed. Because second-order effects must not be
Revised 16 August 2017 neglected and given the importance of consider the shear deformation in the analysis of this type of
Accepted 16 September 2017
structures, the method proposes the calculation of the second-order deformation using the stability func-
tions based on the Timoshenko beam column. The equivalent beam-column properties of the mast are
calculated depending on the pattern construction of the tower and the guys are replaced by non-linear
Keywords:
elastic supports. Based on the catenary configuration of the cable, the spring constant is obtained from
Guyed towers
Stability functions
the secant modulus of the cable. In order to validate the proposed method, a comparative study is carried
Second order analysis out analyzing a guyed mast using the proposed method and a numerical model through the use of finite
Geometric non-linearity elements. As a main conclusions we will mention that, the proposed method are sufficiently accurate
compared to the finite element method, confirming the validity of the hypotheses adopted in the devel-
opment of the method and; the reduction of the computational effort, since the structure does not need
to be discretized into a large number of elements for the convergence.
2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction as cable elements or as non-linear elastic supports. The second

Radio and television communications, as well as cellular tele-
phony, are possible in the modern world thanks to structures that
support equipment transmitting signals from one place to another.
Due to the great resistance in relation to the material consumption
and permeability, steel trussed towers are structures in wide use in
support of communication systems. These structures are usually
slender and light elements, mostly located in exposed places, so
environmental loads prevail in the design.
Two types of trussed towers are used according to their struc-
tural behavior: the self-supporting and the guyed mast. When
large heights are required and conditions at the installation site
permit, guyed masts, because of their steel economy relative to
the self-supporting ones, are the ones usually used. However, the
presence of the guys confers a complex structural behavior on
the environmental loads.
For the analysis of guyed masts several methods can be applied.
The TIA 222-G standard specifies three types of analysis [1]. The
first one consists of an analysis where the tower is modeled as an
equivalent beam-column supported by cables represented either
Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: ppaez@fing.edu.uy (P.M. Pez), sensale@fing.edu.uy
(B. Sensale).
one consists of an elastic three-dimensional truss model where
the mast is modeled as a space framework whose bars are con-
nected by ideal frictionless joints and consequently can only pro-
duce axial force, and finally, an elastic three-dimensional model
can be performed where some of the members of the mast are
modeled as elements that can produce both bending moments
and axial forces, and others as elements that can only produce axial
force. In the last two methods of analysis, the guys are modeled as
cable elements.
The complexity in the analysis of the guyed towers lies in the
inherent non-linearity that these structures present: the non-
linearity of the guys and the geometric non-linearity. The slender-
ness of these towers makes them susceptible to the buckling phe-
nomenon; in other words, second-order effects must not be
neglected. The horizontal actions cause displacements that
increase the level of tension in the guys and in turn the forces of
compression on the tower. These compression forces tend to
increase displacement and so on, a phenomenon commonly
referred to as the P-D effect.
Among the methods of the first type, based on the beam-
column model, different researchers have made different proposals
for more than fifty years. Cohen and Perrin [2] proposed a
two-dimensional analysis using a beam-column model on elastic

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2017.09.036
0141-0296/ 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
598 P.M. Pez, B. Sensale / Engineering Structures 152 (2017) 597606
supports, considering only the flexural stiffness of the beam. In the
same sense, Ezra [3] proposed a two-dimensional analysis based
on the beam-column model on non-linear elastic supports and
considering the torsion of the structure by torsion springs. Basi-
cally, the analysis consists of calculating the displacements of the
structure in iterative form from an arbitrary set of initial displace-
ments. Kalha [4] proposes an approximate method for the analysis
of guyed masts using an equivalent beam-column for the tower
model and cable elements for the guys model. Although the
method takes into account the geometric coupling among the dif-
ferent degrees of freedom and the second-order effects, it is diffi-
cult to apply because it requires a high degree of computational
programming. Wahba et al. [5] analyzed three different models
for the guyed masts, one of which consisted of modeling the tower
as an equivalent beam-column and non-linear cable elements for
the guys. Their results validated the conclusions of the previous
studies by Kahla and confirmed the non-linear geometric response
of these structures to wind loads. Margariti and Gantes [6] propose
an approximate method based on the classic expressions of buck-
ling for the calculation of the elastic critical load in guyed masts
and pylons of cable-stayed bridges. This method is based on a sin-
gle span beam-column model, considering only the flexural stiff-
ness of the mast or pylon. The non-linearity of the guys is taken
into account by the equivalent modulus of elasticity obtained from
the tangent modulus of the cables. Williamson and Margolin [7]
studied the effect of shear force in the design of guyed masts. For
this, they used an equivalent beam-column model on elastic sup-
port, replacing the trussed web system of each face by a fictitious
solid web of the same shear stiffness but having zero flexural stiff-
ness. Their results showed the importance of considering the
effects of shear deformation in the analysis of guyed masts. Based
on the equivalent beam-column method, Pez and Sensale [8] pro-
pose an analytical method for the calculation of guyed masts using
the stability functions based on the Euler-Bernoulli theory. The
guys are replaced by non-linear elastic supports and the effect of
the shear deformations are taken into account by a reduced second
order moment obtained from the Timoshenko beam theory.
Among the different methods of analysis, the most commonly
used today are based on finite elements. These methods are very
accurate; however, for convergence of the solutions, it is necessary
to discretize the structure into a large number of elements, and
requires a great effort of computer programming [4,5]. On the
other hand, analytical methods require complex analyses, and
although they allow us to obtain solutions whose results are close
to those obtained by the use of finite elements, in general they pre-
sent significant differences [2,3,6,7]. It is for this reason that in this
work it is proposed to develop a new analytical method for the
analysis of guyed masts based on the equivalent beam-column
model. In this sence, the method maintains the rigor of the analyt-
ical methods but their application is simple. In other words, suffi-
ciently accurate solutions are obtained for the design of guyed
towers in a reasonable time and with a reasonable effort. The pro-
posed method is motivated by the work of Pez and Sensale [8].
The main difference between this method and that of Pez and
Sensale is essentially in the way the two methods compute the
second-order deformation.
The proposed method considers the non-linearity of the cables
and the second-order effects. For this purpose, the tower is mod-
eled as a continuous equivalent beam-column, on non-linear elas-
tic supports, whose axial stiffness, flexural stiffness and shear
stiffness are calculated depending on the pattern construction of
the tower [9]. The guys are replaced by non-linear elastic supports
whose spring constant is obtained from the secant modulus of
elasticity of the cables [10]. The method proposes the calculation
of the second-order deformation using the stability functions
based on the Timoshenko beam-column [1113].
One of the main advantages of the method is the reduction of
the computational effort, since the structure does not need to be
discretized into a large number of elements for the convergence
and hence the method can be more useful in the pre-design stages.
Another advantage of the method is that the effects of shear defor-
mation are taken into account directly from the geometrical prop-
erties of the tower by the use of stability functions based on the
Timoshenko beam-column, without the need for mathematical
artifice to consider such effects. In addition, the proposed analyti-
cal method uses the basic and more general concepts from the
point of view of structural engineering, this means that the engi-
neer can quickly visualize the parameters that influence the design.
In order to validate the proposed method, a comparative study
is carried out, analyzing a guyed mast using the proposed method
and a numerical model through the use of finite elements by SAP
2000 software [14].
2. The guyed towers
The towers are constructed from a series of vertical bars, gener-
ally denominated as legs, horizontal bars and diagonal bars, thus
forming a space truss. The frequently used tower cross-section is
the equilateral triangular, although square sections may be used
in some cases. For smaller structures, the structural elements of
the lattice are materialized by solid circular steel bars, while for
larger sized structures circular steel tubes, angles profiles, and steel
cold-formed profiles are used.
The guys provide side support to the towers. In general, they are
placed uniformly distributed on the height and are prestressed. In
the case of towers of triangular section, three cables are placed at
each level of guys and in the case of a square section four cables are
placed per level. The guys are anchored to the ground in such a way
that the angles that form the planes constituted by each cable and
the tower are equal. The typical inclinations used for the cables,
measured as the angle formed by the cable with the horizontal,
are of the order of 4060, being able to reach smaller inclinations
for the cables of the first level.
The initial stress of pretensioning of the cables is one of the
main parameters that affect the stability of this type of structure
[15]. This is imposed during the construction of the mast and must
be checked periodically. The TIA 222-G standard recommends
average values of 10% of the cable breaking stress, with a range
of variation between 7% and 15% of the breaking stress, since
within this range the effects of vibration and the aeroelastic insta-
bility can be neglected. For its part, the EN 1993-1-11 standard
provides somewhat more general guidelines, allowing initial stres-
ses of up to 45% of the breaking stress. However, it requires the
verification of vibration and the aeroelastic instability [16].
This work will focus on towers of equilateral triangular cross-
section, although most of the reasonings presented here can
extend to towers of square cross-section.
3. Model of the tower: Equivalent beam-column properties
The model of the tower as an equivalent beam-column is based
on the following assumptions: the material of the beam presents a
linear elastic behavior, the deformations of the beam are small, and
let us assume that, under the action of the bending moment and
the shear force, the perpendicular plane sections to the longitudi-
nal axis of the beam before it is deformed, remain plane but not
necessarily perpendicular to the deformed longitudinal beam axis.
These hypotheses correspond to the Timoshenko beam theory.
Fig. 1 shows the typical lacing configuration of the trussed web
of one of the faces of the tower. For each of these patterns, the geo-
metrical properties of the equivalent beam-column can be
 P.M. Pez, B. Sensale / Engineering Structures 152 (2017) 597606 599

Fig. 1. Typical lacing configurations of the trussed web of one of the faces of the tower.

Table 1
Geometric properties of equivalent beam-column section according to the pattern of one face of the tower (adapted from [8]).

Equivalent properties Pattern 1 Pattern 2 and 3 Pattern 4 Pattern 5

 
EA 3  E  Am 3  E  Am 3  E  Am 3  E  Am Ab
 
E  Iy , E  Iz 1
 E  Am  a2 1
 E  Am  a2 1
 E  Am  a2 b
2  E  a  Am A
1 2
2 2 2

G  Ay , G  Az  1 3  E  Ad  w1
u 3
2E  Ad  w1 3
2E  Ad  w1
3
2
1
EAd w1 tan
EAh

E and G are the modulus of elasticity and the shear modulus of the material.
E  A is the equivalent axial stiffness of the beam-column.E  Iz , E  Iy , G  Az and G  Ay are the flexural stiffness and shear stiffness of the equivalent beam-column with respect to
coordinate axes z and y, respectively.
Am, Ad and Ah are the cross-sections of the legs of the diagonal and horizontal bars that make up the lattice, respectively.
a and b are the distance between the legs and the distance between the horizontal bars, respectively.
u is the angle formed by the legs with the diagonal bars.
2
w1 sin u  cos u
b Ad Ah cos3 3u
A
Ah 2Ad sin u

 2

obtained using the principle of virtual works. Table 1 shows these d r1 r0 ccb c1 1
cb  r1 sinhccb c cb r1 r0 sinh ccb c cb r0
2 1


properties for the case of triangular cross-section towers [4,9]. lcb 2Ecb ccb cosh 1=2ccb ccb r1 1


4Ecb ccb  r0 sinh1=2ccb ccb r1
1
 r1 sinh 1=2ccb ccb r1
4. The guys model
0
 1
2Ecb ccb cosh 1=2ccb ccb r11

4.1. The elastic cable: Secant modulus of elasticity 1

Consider an inclined cable whose chord length is lcb and its hor-
izontal projection ccb, subjected to the action of a chord force T0 and
to a vertical dead load gcb (Fig. 2). Based on the catenary configura-
tion of the cable, by applying a chord force T1, the cable elongation
d can be expresed by Eq. (1) [10]:
where Ecb is the modulus of elasticity of the cable, r1 and r0 are the
stresses in the cable due to the chord forces T1 and T0, respectively,
and ccb is the density of the cable material.
The non-linearity between the chord force and the elongation
due to the sagging change under different load conditions can be

Fig. 2. Inclined cable subjected to a vertical dead load per unit length: relationship between the chord force and the chord length (adapted from [8]).
600 P.M. Pez, B. Sensale / Engineering Structures 152 (2017) 597606

Fig. 3. Secant modulus of elasticity vs. final cable stress, taking Ecb = 185 GPa and r0 0:1  f u 140 (adapted from [8]).

taken into account by the tangent and secant modulus of elasticity

of the cable. In this way, the non-linear phenomenon can be trea-
ted as a linear one. However, the tangent modulus of elasticity
should be used when the relationship between the stresses r1
and r0 is small; otherwise, the secant modulus of elasticity must
be used. Its expression is given by Eq. (2) [10]:

Dr r 1  r 0
Esec  ccb 2
De d
The graph of Fig. 3 shows the variation of the secant modulus of
elasticity as a function of the final stress r1 for cable lengths of
60 m, 100 m and 160 m, whose modulus of elasticity is Ecb 185
GPa and whose initial stress is r0 140 MPa, corresponding to
10% of the breaking stress. It can be seen that for final stresses of
the order of 50% of the breaking stress, the ratio of the modulus
of elasticity of the cable to the secant modulus of elasticity does
not exceed 10% for a cable length of 160 m, or 4% for a cable length
of 100 m.

Fig. 5. Chord force vs. elongation of the cable from the initial tensioning condition
4.2. The cable system: the equivalent spring stiffness (adapted from [10]).

Consider in the first instance the symmetrical plane system, in

equilibrium, formed by the mast and two guys (Fig. 4). If we
apply a horizontal force at the upper end of the mast, it will
Fig. 4. Symmetrical plane system formed by the mast and two guys. Deformed
configuration when applying a horizontal force F at the upper end of the mast
(adapted form [17]).
deform and its position can be described as a horizontal displace-
ment u and a vertical one w, both components of the displace-
ment being small. Since the mast displacement is composed of
a rigid movement and by the flexion thereof, it can be assumed
that the displacement w is an infinitesimal of the second order


of u (w  O u2 ) [17].
When the mast deforms, the cable to the left will lengthen while
the one to the right will be shortened. If both cables are subjected to
an initial chord force T0, the cable on the left will experience a
rapid increase in tension while the cable on the right will undergo
a rapid drop. Fig. 5 shows schematically the foregoing reasoning.
Referring to Fig. 4, the elongation of the left cable d1 and the
shortening of the right cable d2 as a function of the horizontal dis-
placement u can be expressed by Eq. (3):
ccb
d1 d2 u 3
lcb
If the applied force F is of unit value and considering a linear
relationship between stress and strain by using the secant modulus
of elasticity, Eq. (2), the equivalent spring constant used to replace
the cable system is Eq. (4):
 P.M. Pez, B. Sensale / Engineering Structures 152 (2017) 597606 601

ccb
d1 u
2  lcb
ccb 5
d2  u
lcb
Equating the horizontal forces, Eq. (6),
c2cb
Esec;1 2  Esec;2  Acb  u  3
1 6
2  lcb
Therefore, the equivalent elastic spring constant used to replace
the cable system is determined by Eq. (7):
c2cb
keq Esec;1 2  Esec;2  Acb  3
7
2  lcb
From Eqs. (1), (5) and (7), we can conclude that, under the
assumptions made, the structure of Fig. 6 is more flexible in the
positive direction of the U-axis than in the negative direction.

5. Proposed method
Fig. 6. Three-dimensional system formed by the mast and three cables of equal
chord length and equal inclination (adapted from [8]).
Consider a guyed mast structure of height ht , with n levels of
guys uniformly spaced by a distance hj. Without loss of generality,
c2cb
keq Esec;1 Esec;2  Acb  3
4 let us consider that the structure is fixed at the base, as shown in
lcb Fig. 7a.
The tower will be subject to vertical distributed loads pz z;
where Acb is the cross-sectional area of the cables, Esec;1 and Esec;2 are
being their self-weight; to vertical concentrated loads P z , due, for
the secant modulus of elasticity of the cable being stretched and the
example, to the weight of the ancillaries, but in general they will
cable being shortened, respectively, and a the inclination of the
be due to the lengthening and shortening of the cables and the
cables with respect to the horizontal.
wind load on them; and to horizontal concentrated and distributed
Let us now consider the three-dimensional system constituted
loads Px and px z, respectively, basically due to the action of the
by the mast and three cables of equal chord length lcb, equal incli-
wind on the tower, the guys and the ancillaries.
nation a and such that the planes formed by each cable and the
Taking into account the static equilibrium in the deformed posi-
mast are equidistant to each other, to which a horizontal force F
tion in node j, referring to Fig. 7b, we can write for the continuity
of unit value is applied in the upper end of the mast in the direction
bending moment, j-1, Eq. (8) [8]:
of the U-axis (Fig. 6). If the force is applied in the positive direction
of the U-axis (as shown in the figure), the relationship between the X
in

 X
in


M j1 M j Hi P x;i  keq;i  v i  hi M e;i v j  v j1
elongation d1 of the cables to windward and the horizontal dis- ij ij
in  
placement u, as well as the relationship between the shortening X Esec;1  Esec;2 zcb;i zcb;i
d2 of the cable to leeward and the horizontal displacement can  Pz0;i Pz;i 2   keq;i   v i 3  T 0;i  8
Esec;1 2  Esec;2 i ccb;i ccb;i
be expressed by Eq. (5) [8]: ij

Fig. 7. (a) External loads on the guyed mast. (b) Mathematical model of calculation, deformed position (adapted from [8]).
602 P.M. Pez, B. Sensale / Engineering Structures 152 (2017) 597606

Fig. 8. Deformed position of the continuous beam-column on discrete elastic supports for the bars between the nodes j  1, j and j + 1. Free-body diagrams to apply the slope-
deflection equations based on the beam-column of Timoshenko (adapted from [8]).

where zcb;j is the height corresponding to the level j of guys, v j is the
value of the lateral deflection for said level of guys, keq;j is the value
of the equivalent spring constant for the level j of guys, ccb;j is the
horizontal distance between the guys anchor on the ground and
the tower for the level j of guys, Hj is the horizontal resultant force
According to the hypotheses proposed by Haringx, we can
deduce the slope-deflection equations that allow us to consider
the bending deformations and the shear force deformations; its
expression for the bar j between nodes j-1 and j (Fig. 8) is given
by Eq. (10) [12]:
R zcb;j hj =2  

between two levels of guys, obtained as Hj zcb;j hj =2 px zdz; and EI v j  v j1
M j1;j  C  hj1 S  hj  C S   M F;j
Pz0;j is the vertical resultant force due to the uniformly distributed h j h j
 

vertical load between two levels of guys, obtained as
R zcb;j hj =2 EI v j  v j1
M j;j1  S  hj1 C  hj  C S  M F;j
Pz0;j zcb;j hj =2 pz zdz, P z;j is the vertical force at the level j of guys h j h j
due to the action of the wind on these, and Me;j is the bending 10
moment due to the cables eccentricity at the level j of guys and
is given by Eq. (9): where Mj1;j and Mj;j1 are the fixed end moments for the bar j; C j
! and Sj are the stability functions based on the Timoshenko beam-
p p
3 3 a  Acb;j  zcb;j  ccb;j  v j column for the bar j, Eq. (11):
M e;j   Esec;1  Esec;2  3
9

6 3 lcb:j 1  wj  bj  cot bj
j
Cj 2 tanbj =2
bj
 wj

 11
5.1. Slope-deflection equations based on the Timoshenko beam- wj  bj  cosec bj  1
Sj 2tanbj =2
column: the modified approach  wj
bj

Two different formulations have been proposed to analyze the bj is the stability function in the plane bending and its expression is
influence of shear force on the elastic critical buckling load and given by Eq. (12):
the second-order effect in beam-columns, one performed by v

u
Engesser and another by Haringx [18]. The Haringx model has been u Pj h2j
applied and discussed by Timoshenko and Gere and is known as bj t 12
w  E  Ij
the modified approach [11].
 P.M. Pez, B. Sensale / Engineering Structures 152 (2017) 597606 603

wj is the shear reduction factor, Eq. (13): For a beam-column with n spans, from Eq. (16) a 2n-1  2n-1
 1 system of equations is formed whose unknowns are the rotations
Pj and the lateral deflection of the nodes h1    hj    hn1 and
wj 1 13
Gj  Xred;j v 1    v j    v n , respectively, since, on the one hand, the upper end
Xred is the effective shear area of the beam-column cross-section, of the tower is considered as pinned, implying that hn can be writ-
namely, Xred A (Table 1); Pj is the compression force in the bar j, ten as a function of hn1 ; and on the other hand, when the lower
it is deduced from the equilibrium equations and their expression end is fixed h0 v 0 0 and when it is pinned v 0 0 and h0 can
is given by Eq. (14) [8]: be written as a function of h1 .

in 
X
Esec;1  Esec;2 zcb;i zcb;i
Pj P 0;i P z;i 2   keq;i   v i 3  T 0;i  5.3. Obtaining the lateral displacement: second order analysis,
ij
Esec;1 2  Esec;2 ccb;i ccb;i iterative method
14
Under the action of the external forces, the proposed method
The subscripts for the expressions in parentheses indicate the assumes the initial shape of the elastic curve correspond to a


corresponding bar; for example EIh j
indicates that the modulus parabolic function and such that the maximum value of the elas-
of elasticity, the second-order moment and the span length are tic curve is less than an assumed value v m;i , with v m;i 0:001  ht .
those corresponding to the bar j. The equivalent spring constants at each of the levels are calcu-
M F;j is the fixed end moment for a beam subjected to a uni- lated from the assumed lateral displacements. In this way the
formly distributed load in its plane bending and an axial compres- relationship between the compressive force in the bar j and the
sive force. Its expression depends on the support conditions; for compression force in the end bar n can be reasonably estimated.
the case of a beam fixed at both ends, its expression is given by Let f be the ratio factor between these forces, this is P j f  P n , in
Eq. (15) [13]: this way the relationship between the buckling parameters can
2
! !" # be written as Eq. (18):
px;j  hj 12 1 bj
M F;j 1
 15 s 
12 b2j wj 2  tan bj =2 E  I n hj
bj f    bn 18
E  I j hn
5.2. Analysis of the structure
The steps of the iterative procedure to obtain the lateral dis-
Consider a continuous equivalent beam-column on discrete placement are [8]:
elastic supports, for which both the sectional and material proper-
ties are known, subjected to the action of external loads. Taking 1. The lateral displacements of the tower are calculated, that is vj
into account the static equilibrium in the deformed position for for j = 1 to n. The proposed method assumes that the initial
the elements between the nodes j-1, j and j+1 (Fig. 8) and according shape of the elastic curve is a parabolic function.
to the slope-deflection equations based on the Timoshenko beam- 2. With the values of lateral displacements calculated in Step 1,
column with axial compression force (Eq. (10)), we obtain the the modulus of elasticity Esec;1 and Esec;2 are obtained for each
Equations (16): level of guys.
a2j;1  hj1 a2j;2  v j1 a2j;3  hj a2j;4  v j a2j;5  hj1 a2j;6  v j1 Me;j MF;j1  MF;j
3. According to Eq. (16), the new lateral displacement of the tower
a2j1;1  hj1 a2j1;2  v j1 a2j1;3  hj a2j1;4  v j a2j1;5  hj1 a2j1;6  v j1 Hj Px;j under the action of the acting loads is obtained by solving the
16
2n-1  2n-1 system of equations.
4. If for each of the guys levels the difference between the dis-
The coefficients aij in Eq. (16) depend on the geometrical prop- placement obtained in Step 3 and the displacement of Step 1
erties of the beam, the material properties, the stability functions, is less than a predetermined value, the process is finished.
the compressive forces and the equivalent spring constants. Their Otherwise, with the displacement obtained in Step 3, the pro-
expressions are given by Eq. (17): cess is repeated until convergence.

EI  5. If the difference between the displacements at each level of
a2j;1 h
S j1
  guys cannot be made less than a predetermined value, the
a2j;2 a2j1;1  EI h2
C S structure is unstable under the action of the acting loads. The
j1


EI  rigidity of the beam-column and/or the rigidity of the spring
a2j;3 EI C j1
C
h h j  constants should be modified.
EI EI
a2j;4 a2j1;3 2
C S  2
C S
h j h j1 Referring to Fig. 8, for the bar j and for a section at a distance x

EI from the end j-1, the bending moment in said section is given by
a2j;5 S
h j
Eq. (19):
 !2
EI 2
px;j  hj
a2j;6 a2j1;5 C S 1
h
2
j
Mj x  
 wj bj
EI Pj1 " ! #
a2j1;2  2 3 C S 1  cosbj
h j1 hj1    sinbj =hj  x  cosbj =hj  x 1
  sinbj
EI EI Pj1 Pj
a2j1;4 2 3 C S 2 3 C S   keq;j
h h hj1 hj 1  

j1

j
 Mj1;j  cosbj  M j;j1  sinbj =hj  x
EI Pj sinbj
a2j1;6  2 3 C S
h j hj M j1;j  cosbj =hj  x
17 19
604 P.M. Pez, B. Sensale / Engineering Structures 152 (2017) 597606
6. Case study: comparison between the finite elements method
and the proposed method
In order to validate the proposed method (PM), a guyed mast
structure of 120 m height are analyzed. For this, one model is
designed using the Finite Element Method (FEM) through the
use of the SAP 2000 program. In this model (FEM: 3D truss),
the structure is modeled as a three-dimensional truss where
the bars work mainly in axial force and the cables are modeled
as cable elements. The tower has pinned base connections and
the second-order effects are considered from a non-linear P-D
Fig. 9. Three-dimensional model of the guyed tower of 120 m height in FEM. Initial
configuration: pretensioning of cables at 10% of the breaking strength.
Fig. 10. Lateral deflection vs. tower height for the PM and for the FEM: 3D truss models when the base connection of the tower is pinned.
analysis (Fig. 9). The results will be compared with those
obtained by the PM.
The tower has a triangular cross-section of 1.2 m width. The
bars are materialized by circular steel tubes with modulus of elas-
ticity Es = 200 GPa. The legs (vertical bars) are 73.00 mm outside
diameter and 5.20 mm thick and the horizontal bars and diagonals
are 42.16 mm outside diameter and 3.42 mm thick. The inclination
of the diagonals is 45.
The guys are EHS steel with an ultimate tensile strength of
1400 MPa and modulus of elasticity Ecb = 185 GPa. They are placed
with spacings of 12 m in height. The guys whose anchorage levels
to the tower are +12 m, +24 m and +36 m are anchored to the
ground at a distance of 23 m from the tower axis and are
6.35 mm nominal diameter (Acb = 24.632 mm2). The guys whose
anchorage levels to the tower are +48 m, +60 m and +72 m are
anchored to the ground at a distance of 46 m from the tower axis
and are 8.00 mm nominal diameter (Acb = 38.511 mm2). The
remaining cables, whose anchorage levels to the tower are
+84 m, +96 m, +108 m and +120 m, are anchored to the ground
at a distance of 69 m from the tower axis and their nominal diam-
eters are 8.00 mm.
The wind loads on the structure are calculated from the guide-
lines established by the TIA 222-G standard and a basic wind speed
of 43.4 m/s is considered.
The graphs of Figs. 1012 show the lateral deflection, the axial
forces diagram and the bending moment diagram obtained from
the PM and the finite element FEM: 3D truss models in the case
that the tower base connection is pinned.
6.1. Analysis, comparison and discussion of results
In relation to the maximum displacements of the tower, the
difference between the PM and FEM: 3D truss models is of the
order of 0.86%. The difference between the maximum positive
bending moments is of the order of 1.5%, whereas between
the maximum negative bending moments is of the order of
12.8%. In relation to axial force, only small differences are
observed.
 P.M. Pez, B. Sensale / Engineering Structures 152 (2017) 597606 605

Fig. 11. Axial force diagram for the PM and FEM: 3D truss models when the base connection of the tower is pinned.

Fig. 12. Bending moment diagram for the PM and FEM: 3D truss models when the base connection of the tower is pinned.

7. Conclusions structure obtained by the proposed method are sufficiently

In this work an approximate method has been proposed for the
calculation of the deflection produced by the second-order effects
in guyed masts of triangular cross-section. The method is based
on the stability functions for the Timoshenko beam-column. The
geometrical properties for the equivalent beam-column are
obtained according to the lattice pattern of each of the faces of
the tower. The guys are modeled as equivalent spring constants
from the secant modulus of elasticity of the cables, and the model
takes into account the eccentricities of the cables to the anchor
points to the tower.
The proposed method has been numerically validated through a
case study comparing it with finite element methods. From the
results presented, the following conclusions can be deduced:
1. Only small differences were observed in the calculation of the
effects produced by the second-order deformations of the struc-
ture between the PM and the finite element methods. In other
words, the values of the stresses and displacements of the
accurate compared to those obtained by the finite element
method, confirming the validity of the hypotheses adopted in
the development of the method.
2. The PM maintains the complexity and mathematical rigor of
analytical methods, but it has been conceived as a simpler
application method. It uses basic and more general concepts
from the point of view of structural engineering, which means
that the engineer can quickly visualize the parameters that
influence the design.
3. The proposed method considers the effects of shear deforma-
tion and second-order effects directly from the stability func-
tions, which makes it possible to work with greater accuracy,
without the need for mathematical artfice, to consider the
effect of the shear deformation, or to make approximations
and/or divisions of the elements between each guys levels.
4. It is very simple to program, even compared with the use of
spreadsheets, as it does not need to discretize the structure into
a large number of elements for convergence. This is why the
method can be very useful in the preliminary design stages,
606 P.M. Pez, B. Sensale / Engineering Structures 152 (2017) 597606
enabling a significant saving of time. In other words, the finite
element method does not present greater advantages in the
preliminary design stage than the proposed method.
5. Although this work has been focused on triangular cross-
section towers, with an arrangement of three cables per guys
level, the proposed method can be extended to other types of
cable arrangement and to other cross-section forms. Therefore,
the proposed method, initially developed for the analysis of
guyed towers, can be extended to the analysis of cable-stayed
bridge pylons.
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