Improved Failure Mode Identification and Reliability Estimates for Electricity Transmission Towers

Abstract

Studies on the theory of structural system reliability includes identifi- cation 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 sys- tem 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 pro- posed. 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, includ- ing 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 re- liability are proposed.