Transmission Line Design of

Structures & Foundations

TADP 549
Tubular Members
Design Considerations

Presentation 1.3

Dr. Prasad Yenumula

Transmission & Distribution Program

Reference Document

 ASCE/SEI 48 (2011), Design of Steel Transmission

Pole Structures, ASCE Standard, American Society of
Civil Engineers, Reston, Virginia
Topics of Discussion

 Steel Pole Shaft Design

– ASCE method

– Design Example
Basis for ASCE 48 Standard

Basis Documents
– American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC)
– American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI)

 Design stresses of current standard derived from

AISC Allowable Stress Design Specification
 Classification of Steel Poles Based on
Shape of Cross-section

 Tubular Members
– Round pole section

– Hexadecagonal pole section (16-sided

polygon)

– Dodecagonal pole section (12-sided polygon)

– Octagonal pole section (8-sided polygon)

– Hexagonal pole section (6-sided polygon)

– Rectangular/square pole section

Tubular Members - Design Considerations

 Different Failure Modes

– Tension

– Compression

– Shear

– Bending

– Combined mode
Tension Failure Mode (ASCE 48)
 Tensile stresses in steel poles shall not exceed on gross area and
net area of pole sections
 On a gross area, we take the yield stress into account
– P / Ag  Ft where Ft = Fy

 On a net area, we take into account tensile stress of the steel pole

– P / An  Ft where Ft = 0.83 Fu

Ft = tensile stress permitted

Fy = specified minimum yield stress
Fu = specified minimum tensile stress
P = axial tension force on member
Ag = gross cross-sectional area
An = net cross-sectional area
Compression Failure Mode (ASCE 48)

 Regular Polygonal Members

 Compressive stress due to:
– axial load and bending moment on the extreme
fiber ≤ allowable compressive stress Fa
 Local buckling equations for different shapes
determine Fa
 Fa is a function of (w/t) and Fy
w = flat width of a side of a polygon
t = thickness
Local Buckling Considerations (ASCE 48)

 Local buckling equations for different

shapes

 Based on actual research conducted by:

– EPRI

– A.B. Chance

– American Pole Structures, and

– Meyer Industries
Local Buckling Considerations (ASCE 48)

Dodecagonal members (bend angle = 30º)

Range 1: For w/t  240 Ω/Fy

Then Fa = Fy

Range 2: For (240 Ω/Fy)  w/t  (374 Ω/Fy)

Then Fa = 1.45 Fy [1.0 – 0.00129 (1/Ω) (Fy) (w/t)]

Range 3: For w/t  374 Ω/Fy

Then Fa = 104,980 /(w /t)²

Shear Failure Mode (ASCE 48)

 Shear stresses results from:

– applied shear forces

– torsional shear, or

– a combination of the two

 Resultant shear stresses shall not exceed:

(V * Q)/(I * b) + (T * C/J)  Fv

where Fv = 0.58Fy
Shear Failure Mode (cont.)

Where:

Fy = specified minimum yield stress

Fv = shear stress permitted
V = shear force
Q = moment of section about neutral axis
I = moment of inertia
T = torsional moment
J = torsional constant of cross section
c = distance from neutral axis to extreme fiber
b = 2 times wall thickness (t)
Bending Failure Mode (ASCE 48)

 Stress resulting from bending shall not exceed

either of the following:
M * C/I  Ft
or
M * C/I  Fa
Ft = tensile stress permitted
Fa = compressive stress permitted
M = bending moment
C = distance from neutral axis to extreme fiber
I = moment of inertia
Combined Stresses (ASCE 48)

 Combinations of shear and normal stresses

evaluated by Hencky-Mises yield criterion

 For polygonal or round members, the combined

stress at any point on the cross section is
calculated as:

 The combined stresses shall be less than:

Ft or Fa - polygonal members
Combined Stresses (cont.)

 Allowable Stresses
Fa = compressive stress permitted (polygonal members-
local buckling)
Ft = tensile stress permitted (tension failure mode)

 Forces on Members
P = axial force on member
Mx = bending moment about X-X axis
My = bending moment about Y-Y axis
V = total resultant shear force
T = torsional moment
Combined Stresses (cont.)

 Sectional Properties
A = cross-sectional area
Ix = moment of inertia about X-X axis
Iy = moment of inertia about Y-Y axis
Cx = distance from Y-Y axis to point where stress is checked
Cy = distance from X-X axis to point where stress is checked
Q = moment of section about neutral axis
I = moment of inertia
J = torsional constant of cross section
c = distance from neutral axis to point where stress is
checked
t = wall thickness
Combined Stresses (cont.)

Properties of Dodecagonal Sections

Source: ASCE 48
Local Buckling Considerations

 ‘W’ Calculation needs

Bend Radius (BR)
BR = inside actual bend
radius for
BR  4t

BR = 4t for inside bend

radius > 4t

Source: ASCE/SEI 48
Illustrated Example

 Length of steel pole = 95 ft with baseplate

 Two section pole

 Steel Tube Properties:

– 12 sided
– Yield stress Fy = 65 ksi
– Outer diameter at ground line Do= 38.96 in
(measured across flats)
– Thickness of section at ground line t = 0.28125 in
Example (cont.)

 Loadings on pole at ground line

– Axial load at base P = 16.62 kips
– Transverse moment My = 1636.22 k-ft
– Longitudinal moment Mx = 0
– Transverse shear force = 23.49 kips
– Longitudinal shear force = 0 kips
– Total resultant shear force V = 23.49 kips
– Torsional moment T = 0

 Check whether pole section at ground

line meets ASCE 48 requirements?
Example (cont.)

 Sectional Properties
– Outer diameter Do= 38.96 in (measured across flats)
– Thickness of section t = 0.28125 in
– Mean diameter D = Do – t
= 38.96 - 0.28125 = 38.67875 in
– Gross area Ag = 3.22 D * t
= 3.22 * 38.67875 * 0.28125 = 35.028 in2
– Moment of inertia
Ix = Iy = 0.411 D3 t
= 0.411 * (38.67875)3 * 0.28125 = 6688.85 in4
Cx = 0.518 * (D + t) * cos(a)
= 0.518 (38.67875 + 0.28125) * cos(15°) = 19.49 in
Example (cont.)

 Calculation of Compressive Stress permitted (Fa)

– Flat width of a side of polygon w = 0.268 (D – t – 2 * BR)

– Effective bend radius BR = 4 t = 4 x 0.28125 = 1.125 in

– w = 0.268 (38.67875- 0.28125- 2 x 1.125) = 9.68753 in

– Thickness of section t = 0.28125 in

– w/t = 9.68753/0.28125 = 34.444

Example (cont.)

 Calculation of Compressive Stress Permitted (Fa)

Range 1: For w/t  240 Ω/Fy
Then Fa = Fy
Range 2: For 240 Ω/Fy  w/t  374 Ω/Fy
Then Fa = 1.45 Fy [1.0 – 0.00129 (1/Ω)(Fy)(w/t)]
Range 3: For w/t  374 Ω/Fy
Then Fa = 104,980 /(w/t)²
240 x 1/ (65)0.5 = 29.77
374 x 1 /(65)0.5 = 46.39
w/t = 34.444
 Falls under range 2
Example (cont.)

Range 2:
 For 240 Ω/Fy  w/t  374 Ω/Fy

Then Fa = 1.45 Fy [1.0 – 0.00129 (1/Ω)(Fy)(w/t)]

 Fa = 1.45 Fy [1.0 – 0.00129 (1/Ω) (Fy) (w/t)]

= 1.45 x 65 [1 - 0.00129 * 1/1 * 65 * 34.444]

= 1.45 x 65 x 0.64177 = 60.487 ksi

Example (cont.)

 Calculation of combined stress:

 Axial Stress
P/A = 16.62/35.028 = 0.474 ksi

 Bending Stress
MyCx/Iy = (1636.22 x 12) * 19.49/6688.85
= 57.211 ksi
Example (cont.)

 Shear Stress = V * Q/(I * t)

V = 23.49 kips

Max. Q/(I * t) = 0.631/(D * t)

= 0.631/(38.67875 x 0.28125) = 0.058 /in2

Hence, Shear Stress = 23.49 x 0.058 = 1.362 ksi

Note: Maximum flexural and shear stress do not occur

at the same point
Example (cont.)

 Combined Stress at ground line:

= ((0.474 + 57.211 + 0)2 + 3 (1.362 + 0)) = 57.72 ksi

Fa = 60.487 ksi
Ft = Fy = 65 ksi

 Percentage usage at ground line

= 57.72/60.487 = 95.4%
 Section is OK at ground line per ASCE 48.