Stochastic Analysis of Fatigue Damage of Transmission Tower-Line System Using Kriging and Bayesian Updated Probability Density Evolution Methods

The wind-induced fatigue damage is an important reason for the structural deterioration of transmission tower-line systems. The study of the fatigue damage of transmission towers is a basic requirement to ensure their normal service. To simulate the fatigue damage evolution occurring in the joints of the tower, a verified hybrid multiscale finite element (FE) model is first developed by concurrent modeling and substructuring techniques. Second, a fatigue damage model based on continuum damage mechanics is calibrated by conducting a fatigue crack initiation experiment and integrated into the FE material model by subroutines technique. Third, an improved Bayesian updated probability density evolution method (BUPDEM) with higher efficiency is proposed based on the Kriging method. Finally, based on the multiscale FE model and the damaged material model, the strategies for stochastic analysis of fatigue damage of transmission tower-line systems are proposed together with a numerical example for illustration. The results of the example show a good accuracy of the proposed BUPDEM.