IMI is currently working on a most challenging technology of simulation study of the tower as on the test bed using the most advanced finite element analysis technologies first time in the world. This is set to revolutionize the entire tower engineering and also crash bottlenecks in the transmission line projects.

Towers are modeled as on test bed and its behavior is studied using advanced FEM techniques. Using iTOWERSDetailer it is now possible to model the real time tower with solid or shell elements taking the final member angle sections, gusset plates, bolts information.

Shell model study of the tower includes the complete details of the tower, i.e., the exact model of the tower as on the test bed with the main members, plates, bolts as per the detailed drawings.

In the first stage IMI plans to come out with study of vertical towers with single angle, vertical peak. Other types of the towers like the vertical towers with horn peak, flat peak, Horizontal towers would follow gradually.

In the normal conventional analysis, the tower is analyzed using truss elements with 3 degrees of freedom only at each node of a member.

In the new approach, members and gusset plates will be discretised using shell/plate elements with eight nodes and six degrees of freedom at each node i.e., three displacements and three rotations. Bolts will be discretised using beam elements with same six degrees of freedom at each node and finally perform the finite element analysis by applying the loads as applied on the test bed and check for the safe design of the all these tower components.

This new simulation study will be available for the tower designers across the globe on the internet as a service model very soon, wherein the designer’s sitting in their office can observe the tower behavior by changing the loads over the net.

We are doing a joint study of iTOWERS Simulator with the live field test results in collaboration with the premier organizations in India, Middle east and Europe. We also welcome tower designers across the world to join the Simulation study.