Bi-modal spectral method for evaluation of along-wind induced fatigue damage

Several analytical procedures available in literature, for the evaluation of wind induced fatigue damage of structures, either assume the wide band random stress variations as narrow band random process or use correction factors along with narrow band assumption. This paper compares the correction factors obtained using the Rainflow Cycle (RFC) counting of the measured stress time histories on a lamp mast and a lattice tower, with those evaluated using different frequency domain methods available in literature. A Bi-modal spectral method has been formulated by idealising the single spectral moment method into two modes of background and resonant components, as considered in the gust response factor, for the evaluation of fatigue of slender structures subjected to