Damage analysis of split spherical node concrete filled steel tube lattice wind turbine plane towers

This study analyzes the split spherical node concrete-filled steel tube wind turbine plane towers with web member wall thicknesses of 3 mm (TJ-1) and 5 mm (TJ-2) through low-cyclic reversed load tests, comparing their hysteresis curves, skeleton curves, ductility, and stiffness degradation. The analysis is further validated using ABAQUS software simulations, exploring the impact of web member diameter ratios on the damage of the plane towers. The results indicate that the failure modes of the split spherical node concrete-filled steel tube wind turbine plane towers include weld tearing failure, web member buckling failure, and high-strength bolt pull-out failure. The yield load and peak load of specimen TJ-2 are 9% and 21% higher than those of specimen TJ-1, respectively, with a more plump hysteresis curve and better energy dissipation capacity. Increasing the web member wall thickness can enhance the initial and overall stiffness of the tower. The parametric analysis of the web member diameter ratio suggests that a ratio of 0.11-0.13 is recommended for engineering applications.