Open Access

ARTICLE

Improved Failure Mode Identification and Reliability Estimates for Electricity Transmission Towers

Xuwen An^1,2, Jianguo Hou³, P.D. Gosling⁴, Dong Dai⁵, Long Xiao⁶, Xiaoyi Zhou⁷

1 Associate Professor, Wuhan University, P. R. China, Email: anxw@whu.edu.cn
2 Visiting Researcher, Newcastle University, UK, Email: Xuwen.An@ncl.ac.uk
3 Professor, Wuhan University, P. R. China, Email: jghou@whu.edu.cn
4 Professor, Newcastle University, UK, Corresponding author Email: p.d.gosling@ncl.ac.uk
5 MEng, CITIC General Institute of Architectural Design and Research Co. Ltd., Email: medusa.1313@163.com
6 MEng, CITIC General Institute of Architectural Design and Research Co. Ltd., Email: 550356107@qq.com
7 Researcher Associate, Newcastle University, UK, Email: xiaoyi.zhou@ncl.ac.uk

Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences 2015, 107(1), 1-25. https://doi.org/10.3970/cmes.2015.107.001

Abstract

Studies on the theory of structural system reliability includes identification of main the failure modes and calculation of inclusive failure probabilities for the structural system. The efficient and accurate identification of failure modes in structural systems is difficult and represents a key focus for research in system reliability. The fundamental theory of the branch and bound algorithm for stage critical strength is reviewed in this paper. Some deficiencies in this method are highlighted. Corresponding approaches to overcome these deficiencies are proposed. Calculated system reliability solutions to the classical model, a truss with 10 elements, indicate that the improvement measures proposed in this paper increase the efficiency of recognising the main failure modes of the structural system, and are readily validated. The outcomes of this type of benchmark analysis suggest that the proposed methodology may be capable of representing a suitable basis for the structural system reliability analysis of complex truss-like structures, including transmission towers. Using the proposed approach, the principal failure modes and system reliability of a transmission tower are calculated. Based on practical engineering considerations, effective methods to improve this structural system reliability are proposed.

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Keywords

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