Typhoon-induced failure analysis of electricity transmission tower-line system incorporating microtopography

Abstract

Safety of electricity transmission tower-line systems is always at risk from various natural hazards, especially typhoons, which have the potential to cause significant damage and disruption. However, previous studies have predominantly focused on typhoons occurring in open-flat terrains, disregarding the impact of actual terrains. To address this research gap, this paper comprehensively examines the typhoon-induced responses of an electricity transmission tower-line system while considering the influence of microtopography. Specifically, a virtual wind tunnel is first established to simulate the typhoon within a specific microtopography. The wind characteristics of the typhoon considering the influence of microtopography are then studied in terms of the average wind speed, gust factor, and turbulence intensity, and compared to those at open-flat terrains. Finally, the influences of microtopography on the typhoon-induced responses and collapse of the electricity transmission tower-line system are investigated. The results demonstrate that the introduction of microtopography can obviously increase local wind speed and enhance fluctuation of wind, resulting in large responses and collapse risk of electricity transmission tower-line systems. This paper could provide a valuable reference for assessing the wind-resistant capacity of electricity transmission lines located in complex terrains, e.g., mountains and valleys.