The effects of high winds on transmission lines

The behaviour of transmission lines under severe winds is examined. Possible reasons to explain transmission line failures in strong winds are investigated through aeroelastic wind tunnel tests, and the experimental results are successfully compared with theoretical predictions made through the statistical method using influence lines. Cables with different characteristics are simulated and tested at transverse wind incidence. The results obtained confirm the importance of turbulence in the dynamic response and demonstrate that the aerodynamic damping plays an important role in the dynamic behaviour of the cables. They also show that, although the background response may indeed be the biggest contributor for the total fluctuating response in most typical cases, the resonant response can be important depending on the characteristics of the structure and of the wind flow, and should not be neglected in the design procedures. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.