STUDY ON A RETOROFIT METHOD OF TELECOMMUNICATION STEEL TOWERS USING BUCKING RESTRAINED BRACES : Application of a grid computing system for optimum device arrangements based on a genetic algorithm

Abstract

This study discusses a retrofit method for telecommunication steel towers by using buckling restraint braces (BRB), and proposes a method to determine the optimum arrangement. First, an ordinary tower on a SRC substructure is investigated to see how it behaves under earthquake motions. Second, a tower installed with BRBs, a retrofit model, is also analyzed. Based on both analyses, it is concluded that introduction of such braces can improve much the earthquake resistant capacity. And finally, determination method of optimum arrangement by the genetic algorithm is proposed using a grid computing system. The performance of the hybrid algorithms and efficiency for solving the optimum arrangement problems is illustrated by the results of numerical studies.