DETERMINATION OF PRINCIPAL AXES OF TRUSS TOWERS.

The paper is concerned with the determination of the principal axes of geometrically nonlinear truss towers by a microcomputer. A knowledge of the principal axes may be used at the planning and design stage to advantageously orient the tower with respect to the dominant wind direction. The principal axes may also be used for the assessment of the truss tower's sensitivity to wind direction. A scale for the evaluation of this sensitivity is proposed in the paper. The sensitivity of a structure to lateral load direction depends on the structure's geometry and topology. An example is presented that shows how the sensitivity of a space truss can be affected by the modifications of its geometry and topology.