CASE Centers Antenna Tower Program

Program Abstract
The CASE Center is developing a program for the design of steel antenna towers and supporting structures based on the TAI/EFA-22-F Standard, as reaffirmed March 27, 2003. This new program is designed to give the steel antenna tower and supporting structure design engineer and easy-to-use program to construct a tower and appurtenance model, analyze the model, review the results and code check the structural components. The model is constructed by entering data into spreadsheetlike tables. Models may be saved into neutral files and retrieved at a later date for adjustment or further refinement. Supported towers include monopoles, 3- or 4sided latticed towers, with or without guys.
June 9-12, 2004 GTSUG Boston, MA 1

CASE Centers Antenna Tower Program

Program Goals
Simplified modeling of tower and monopole geometry Simplified appurtenance input Automatic ice and wind load calculations Nonlinear analysis for guyed towers and monopoles

June 9-12, 2004

GTSUG Boston, MA

CASE Centers Antenna Tower Program

Program Goals (cont)

Concise result reporting including twist, sway and displacement for antennas Code check by ASD9 along with TIA/EFA222-F adjustments

June 9-12, 2004

GTSUG Boston, MA

CASE Centers Antenna Tower Program

Program Limitations
No light gauge or cold-formed components (AISI) are code checked or have tables provided. Connections (bolts or welds) are not checked or designed.

June 9-12, 2004

GTSUG Boston, MA

CASE Centers Antenna Tower Program

Program Layout
- Tabbed spreadsheet-like input

- Graphical display of current model

- Menu selections for - File input - GTSTRUDL processing - Results review

June 9-12, 2004

GTSUG Boston, MA

CASE Centers Antenna Tower Program

Program Usage
Modeling Input file creation Results

June 9-12, 2004

GTSUG Boston, MA

CASE Centers Antenna Tower Program

Usage: Modeling
Basic Geometry
Tower type: Monopole, 3- ro 4- sided Tower height Base and top widths Additional inflection (slope change) points

June 9-12, 2004

GTSUG Boston, MA

CASE Centers Antenna Tower Program

Usage: Modeling
Basic geometry data entry

June 9-12, 2004

GTSUG Boston, MA

CASE Centers Antenna Tower Program

Usage: Modeling
Constants
Wind speed
Section 16, County listings of wind speeds available as drop-down lists

Ice thickness Ice density Wind + ice reduction factor

June 9-12, 2004

GTSUG Boston, MA

CASE Centers Antenna Tower Program

Usage: Modeling
Constants entry sheet

June 9-12, 2004

GTSUG Boston, MA

10

CASE Centers Antenna Tower Program

Usage: Modeling
State and county drop-downs for wind speed

June 9-12, 2004

GTSUG Boston, MA

11

CASE Centers Antenna Tower Program

Usage: Modeling
Section data
Length of section Number of panels Bracing type (X, C or K) Existence of girts Properties

June 9-12, 2004

GTSUG Boston, MA

12

CASE Centers Antenna Tower Program

Usage: Modeling
Data entry sheet for Section Geometry

June 9-12, 2004

GTSUG Boston, MA

13

CASE Centers Antenna Tower Program

Usage: Modeling
Data entry sheet for Section properties

June 9-12, 2004

GTSUG Boston, MA

14

CASE Centers Antenna Tower Program

Usage: Modeling
Appurtenances
Type
Flat Round Dish

Properties
Width / Diameter Height Weight
June 9-12, 2004 GTSUG Boston, MA 15

CASE Centers Antenna Tower Program

Usage: Modeling
Appurtenances (cont)
Elevation Mount
Number of mounts Weight of single mount Equivalent projected area of single mount Legs (1 or more)

June 9-12, 2004

GTSUG Boston, MA

16

CASE Centers Antenna Tower Program

Usage: Modeling
Appurtenances (cont)
Feed line(s)
Number of feed lines Feed line diameter Face(s) feed lines are attached to

Description
128 character description/note about appurtenance

June 9-12, 2004

GTSUG Boston, MA

17

CASE Centers Antenna Tower Program

Usage: Modeling
Guys
Tower attachment location Anchor Torque arms

June 9-12, 2004

GTSUG Boston, MA

18

CASE Centers Antenna Tower Program

Usage: Input File

Job name and description Geometry Loads Code check Analysis Additional GTSTRUDL commands Notes and comments
GTSUG Boston, MA 19

June 9-12, 2004

CASE Centers Antenna Tower Program

Usage: Input File

A GTSTRUDL input file is created upon request once the model data is entered or read from a neutral file. This file is used to get analysis results and code check information from GTSTRUDL and is not deleted. You can use this file to go beyond the limits of the Antenna Tower program and add your own GTSTRUDL commands to do dynamic analysis, support pad modeling, etc. Note that you can add these extra commands to the .gta file (Antenna Tower program neutral file) so they will be automatically be added to the generated GTSTRUDL input file the next time you use the .gta file. You can also add comments that will be added to the GTSTRUDL input file as NOTES.

June 9-12, 2004

GTSUG Boston, MA

20

CASE Centers Antenna Tower Program

Usage: Input File

Job name and description
STRUDL name description

Geometry
JOINT COORD, MEM INC, MEM PROP, etc. DEFINE GROUP (by types: legs, braces, girts and by section)

June 9-12, 2004

GTSUG Boston, MA

21

CASE Centers Antenna Tower Program

Usage: Input File

Loads
Wind and ice loads are generated on a panelby-panel basis to take advantage of feed line termination within a section Self weight Ice (if specified) applied as joint loads at the top of each panel.

June 9-12, 2004

GTSUG Boston, MA

22

CASE Centers Antenna Tower Program

Usage: Input File

Loads (cont)
Wind loads are applied as joint loads at the top of each panel. As many wind directions as are needed created. Design loads are created by FORM LOAD to allow nonlinear analysis.

June 9-12, 2004

GTSUG Boston, MA

23

CASE Centers Antenna Tower Program

Usage: Input File

Paramters
CODE: ASD9, maybe TOWER for single angles to do a second code check. ALSTRINC: to account for increased allowable stress for towers under 1200. KY, KZ, LY, LZ as needed to satisfy Section 3.1.14 for single angles in compression.

June 9-12, 2004

GTSUG Boston, MA

24

CASE Centers Antenna Tower Program

Usage: Input File

Parameters (cont)
Possible new parameter TIA to keep code check complete in GTSTRUDL.

Analysis
Static for self supporting towers Nonlinear for monopoles and guyed towers.

June 9-12, 2004

GTSUG Boston, MA

25

CASE Centers Antenna Tower Program

Usage: Input File

Additional GTSTRUDL commands
You can add extra commands to adjust the generated input file or add loads that the Tower program doesnt support. Once the additional commands are created, they can be added to the neutral file so they will be automatically appended each time an input file is created.

June 9-12, 2004

GTSUG Boston, MA

26

CASE Centers Antenna Tower Program

Usage: Input File

Notes and comments
You can also add non-executable information which will be added to the input file as NOTES. This data could include file names, explanations for unusual values such as extra high wind speeds, etc.

June 9-12, 2004

GTSUG Boston, MA

27

CASE Centers Antenna Tower Program

Usage: Results
Base reactions Displacement of tower joints Twist, sway and displacement of antennas Member end forces Code check results Printed reports

June 9-12, 2004

GTSUG Boston, MA

28

CASE Centers Antenna Tower Program

Neutral File
.gta extension Text file human readable and editable Easy to manage

June 9-12, 2004

GTSUG Boston, MA

29