Double controller of wind induced bending oscillations in telecom towers

Wind induced large bending oscillation amplitudes in tall and slender telecommunication steel towers may lead to precocious fatigue cracks and consequent risk of collapse of these structures, many of them installed in rural areas alongside highways and in highly populated urban areas. Varying stress amplitudes at hot spots may be attenuated by means of passive control mechanical devices installed in the tower. This paper gives an account of both mathematical-numerical model and the technique applied to design and evaluate the performance of a double controller installed in existing towers which is composed by a nonlinear pendulum and a novel type of passive controller described herein as a planar motion disk mounted on shear springs. Results of experimental measurements carried out on two slender tubular steel towers under wind action demonstrate the efficiency of the double controllers in attenuating the towers bending oscillation amplitudes and consequent stress amplitudes extending the towers fatigue life.