Structural Assessment of a 45 m Self-Supporting Telecommunication Tower under Corrosion-Induced Member Thickness Reduction Using RISA Tower
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Telecommunication towers are exposed to atmospheric conditions that can cause corrosion and progressive loss of steel section thickness. This study evaluates the structural response of a 45 m self-supporting telecommunication tower under a prescribed corrosion-induced thickness-loss scenario using RISA Tower and the ANSI/TIA-222-G standard. Two numerical configurations are considered: the original tower and a deteriorated configuration representing member thickness reduction. The response is evaluated using member axial demand, allowable capacity, and utilization ratio. The available study data do not include a measured corrosion rate, a documented atmospheric corrosivity class, or a service-exposure history; therefore, the deterioration case is treated as an analytical scenario rather than a time-dependent field corrosion model. The results show that the maximum utilization ratio of the leg members increases from 44.3% to 48.6%, the diagonal members from 65.2% to 73.0%, and the governing secondary horizontal members from 74.8% to 90.8%. The results demonstrate the sensitivity of secondary members to section loss and highlight the importance of inspection and corrosion monitoring. The conclusions are limited to the investigated tower configuration, loading assumptions, and modeled thickness-loss scenario.
Authors: BEN AROUS, MARWA, Etturki, Abdulbasit
Institutions: Libyan Academy, University of Tripoli
Language: English
Subfield: Mechanical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7223454591