STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF A FIBERGLASS ANTENNA TOWER

The Federal Aviation Administration requires a 61 m (200 ft.) obstacle free zone (OFZ) on each side of airport runways, but allows the placement of break-away (frangible) structures within the OFZ. Airports will have to utilize the OFZ in order to upgrade landing systems. This paper describes analytical procedures used in the development of a frangible fiberglass antenna tower. The tower was assumed to act as a truss and therefore, the transversely isotropic nature of the fiberglass did not have to be accounted for. A simplified linear static finite element procedure was performed and it verified that the tower will withstand environmental loading. A dynamic analysis was performed to model the event of an aircraft impact and verified that failure would be initiated by an aircraft impact. The use of fiberglass provided a design that not only met structural requirements, but eased transport, simplified erection, and improved maintenance.

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Features: Figures; References; Tables;
  • Pagination: p. 493-503
  • Serial:
    • Volume: 1

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00763878
  • Record Type: Publication
  • ISBN: 1890743011
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: May 5 1999 12:00AM