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CREEP TEST RIG FOR FULL-SCALE COMPOSITE CROSSARM: SIMULATION

MODELLING AND ANALYSIS

Conference Paper · April 2019

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 CREEP TEST RIG FOR FULL-SCALE COMPOSITE
CROSSARM: SIMULATION MODELLING AND ANALYSIS

M.R.M Asyraf1*, M.R. Ishak1,4,5, S.M. Sapuan2,5, N. Yidris1,4, A.N. Johari1,

W. Ashraf1, H.K Sharaf1, M. Chandrasekar1,5, R. Mazlan3
1
Department of Aerospace Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor,
Malaysia
2
Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM
Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
3
Department of Civil Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor,
Malaysia
4
Aerospace Malaysia Research Centre (AMRC), Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia,
43400 UPM Serdang Selangor, Malaysia.
5
Institute of Tropical Forestry and Forest Products (INTROP), Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400
UPM Serdang Selangor, Malaysia

ABSTRACT

This research covers the design and simulation of creep test rig for composite crossarm. The test rig
will be used to study and predict creep behaviour upon various loading conditions and to analyse the
creep life of the cantilever beam structure. In order to select the best performance model, a baseline
conceptual test rig was generated in CATIA V5 and a finite element analysis (FEA) was done by using
a static structural analysis in ANSYS. Three different bracing systems are incorporated in the baseline
model and the modified configurations were also analysed. These bracing systems include single
diagonal, cross-bracing and V-bracing. In the simulation analysis, deformation was measured and
analysed in these four configurations. The results showed the V-bracing configuration has lesser
deformation at the mounted areas of crossarm, subsequently, improved the mechanical performance of
the structure.

Keywords: creep, crossarm, transmission line, test rig, finite element analysis

INTRODUCTION

The current crossarm consists mainly of Chengal wood (Neobalanocarpus) and has been operating since
1963 in the 132kV transmission tower. This wooden based crossarm was chosen due to perform with
better mechanical strength and the ability of arch quenching (Berk, 2000). However, numerous of study
has been demonstrated that a matured Chengal wood
has low quality to be operated as crossarm
(Magimay, 1977; Rawi et al., 2017). This is due to a
Article history: research was found that a failure happened when the
Received: 1 December 2018
Accepted: 2 December 2018 structure had been aging for more than 24 years
period of service. According to Liew (1993), the
E-mail addresses: finding was showed a defective wood crossarm can
asyrafriz96@gmail.com (M.R.M. Rizal) only remain function only for 14 years of service.
mohdridzwan@upm.edu.my (M.R. Ishak) This was attributed due to a natural behavior of wood
sapuan@upm.edu.my (S.M. Sapuan)
nyidris@upm.edu.my (N. Yidris) called as natural wood defects. The phenomenon
nzrnxcel@gmail.com (A.N. Johari) happened when the wood was exposed to long
sh88waqas@gmail.com (W.Ashraf)
hk.sharaf92@gmail.com (H.K. Sharaf)
periods of operation with continuous loading. Hence,
chandrasekar.25j@gmail.com (M. Chandrasekar) there is an urgency in the finding solutions to replace
rafidahmazlan16@gmail.com (R. Mazlan) the wooden crossarm. This led to the introduce glass
*Corresponding Author
fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite

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crossarm to be incorporated in these towers in order to the current wooden crossarm.
Currently, a large number of numerical simulations were conducted to obtain theoretical data of the
properties of composite crossarms (Rabelo et al., 2018; Schümann et al., 2002). Additionally, several
experimental studies were also carried out by using coupon specimens of composite crossarm material
to identify these properties (Sá et al., 2011; Yen and Williamson, 1990). However, no studies on
crossarm members with actual dimensions were found in the literature. Hence, there is a need to perform
mechanical analysis on actual composite crossarm to have a holistic view of their properties. To perform
mechanical analysis, a test rig is required that is specifically built for actual sized composite crossarms
(Berk, 2000; Nadhirah et al., 2017; Rawi et al., 2017).
In this study, a test rig base model will be designed using CATIA software. This baseline model
will consist of only braced frames and will be analysed using FEA. Moreover, various other bracing
systems will be inducted in this model to enhance the structural performance of the test rig. These
conceptual designs will also be analysed using FEA to compare their performances. This article will
cover the modelling and simulation of various designs of the test rig. The instruments that will be used
in the test rig and the need for calibration of the complete test rig will also be discussed in this paper.

EXPERIMENTAL SETUP

Requirements

A full-scale size composite crossarm (of lattice steel transmission tower) will be tested to predict its
service life by determining the creep properties and behaviours of the structure. The test will be
conducted using uniaxial cantilever beam test to study the deflection and total strain of the structure
when the loading was applied. The test specimens was made up from glass fibre reinforced polymer
(GFRP) composite. The developed test rig should be able to cater to a variety of dimensions and forces
of different categories of crossarms.
The experimental setup should be able to achieve by standard experimental procedures of
cantilever beam mode (Moutee et al., 2005). The loading effect will be installed in this testing to
determine the creep properties. The specific procedures to conduct the test were complied with
international standards such as ASTM D2990 and D747.

Concepts

Fig. 1: Concept of the test setup

The test rig was designed and conceptualize to examine the creep properties of full-scale composite
crossarms in 132 kV transmission towers. The presented concept of test rig will employ the cantilever
beam test as shown in Fig. 1. For the main structure, it is invented into two components, which are
tower (a) and base (b). In addition, the fittings (c) and dial gauge (d) are associated with the test
specimen to be installed on the test rig to ensure the test rig is fully operational.

Modelling and simulation of test rig design

The test rig configurations were produced based on the integration of full-scale dimensions of composite
crossarm and the theories of trusses. Therefore, several listing of bracing types were brainstormed to
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design these test rig configurations. In the first configuration, the brace frame is implemented during
modelling stage and used as a benchmark for the other configurations. While, three bracing systems
(single diagonal, cross-bracing, V-bracing) were incorporated to the benchmark model to study the
effectiveness of brace frame in the test rig. These four configurations were simulated using static
structural analysis in ANSYS to have verified the mechanical performance.
The computational modelling was carried out using CATIA V5 to create mechanical designs of test
rig. Each member frames are modelled using square hollow section (SHS) of low carbon steel alloy.
The loads allowed by a full-scale crossarm and directly simulated on the mounting area of the designed
test rigs. The test rig is positioned an elevated height from the ground. Moreover, the tensile strength of
the designated material will be considered to be 766 MPa and the yield strength will be considered to
be 572 MPa. The pipe sheet of thickness 1.9 mm were applied to make a square hollow structure with
the outer height and width of 100 mm in the modelling stage.
A computational simulator program (ANSYS) was used to produce a simulated results on these
models of test rigs. In this section, the bottom surface of the model were fixed in the constraint
condition. The surface was set as fixed support. Additionally, the loading conditions were simulated at
the connection points of the test rig and the crossarm as demonstrated in Table 1. A body sizing was
defined in the element size of 50 mm that run in slow transition in the meshing stage. A smoothing
effect was implemented in this stage to simplify the projected simulation. The mesh was produced
automatically in the shape of triangle to refine the surface area especially on complex profiles. A denser
mesh was essential areas such as the joining interfaces to obtain accurate results. In detail, the mesh
was produced about 592,556 elements with corresponding 907,552 numbers of nodes.

TABLE 1: Loading condition of 132kV composite crossarm in normal condition

Tie member Main member A (Compression) Main member B (Compression)

(Tension)
15 10 10
20 15 15
35 20 20
40 25 25

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Deformation Analysis

a b

c d

Fig. 2: Deformation analysis of test rigs configurations

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Fig. 2 explains the deformations resulted from the applied loading mounted on crossarm (Table 1) of
each of the configurations in ANSYS. The brace frame configuration was chosen as a benchmark in
order to compare and analyse the deformation which represent the mechanical behaviour in the analysis.
The brace frame configuration (a) showed distortion happened at upper section of the tower due to
high tension loading. This happened due to the brace frame without bracing system cannot resist lateral
tension load from the crossarm (Richardson et al., 2013). Moreover, Tremblay, (2002). Meanwhile, the
single diagonal (b) and cross bracing (c) configurations were observed that the deformation was
concentrated at tie and main member mounted areas without distorted the upper section of the tower.
This indicated that additional members of single diagonal and cross bracing systems aid the structure
to be stabled and provide better structural integrity. These bracing systems used to perform the structure
elastically rather than plastically; consequently, led to less energy dissipation capacities and caused
higher deformation only at mounted area (Kanyilmaz, 2017). Apart from that, the V-bracing (d)
configurations has lower deformation at tie member mounted area as compared to both main member
mounted areas. This was probably due to reduce tension yield capacity at tie member mounting area
subsequently, provide higher structural stability (Abdollahzadeh et al., 2018; Giaccu, 2018;
Pourabdollah et al., 2017).
Based on the statement above, the V-bracing configuration showed the optimum result of
mechanical performance in the static structural analysis. The V-bracing system allows the distribution
of the loads and restrain the excess forces exerted from the crossarm. The system provide the structure
to cater and control the buckling issues, consequently led to better load distribution. Hence, the system
will induced a good structural integrity to the structure and decrease the lateral buckling at the frame of
structure (Kanyilmaz, 2017).

CONCLUSIONS

A full-scale crossarm test rig is a machine that applied creep stress loadings by using conventional
methods to analyze the life expectancy of full-scale crossarm. The test rig should fabricate using multi-
bracing systems to provide better the mechanical properties and structural integrity. In this simulation,
the V-bracing and was the best models to be fabricated. The developed test rig can faithfully to be
implemented for creep testing which is necessary in predicting the service life of composite crossarm.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors would like to thank Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for the financial support through
Geran Inisiatif Putra, UPM. The authors are grateful to Department of Aerospace Engineering, UPM
for providing facilities to conduct computational analysis.

REFERENCES

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