Steel arm with internal tendon

摘要

A tensioning arrangement uses a tendon to pull together (pre-stress) a hollow steel arm and a bracket in a localized area around the joint between the arm and the bracket in order to induce localized compressive stresses that will reduce the wind-induced, intermittent tensile stresses and hence minimize fatigue at the joint between the arm and the bracket.

主权项

1. A tensioning arrangement, comprising:
a wall defining a hollow steel arm having a proximal end and an interior surface, said proximal end defining an outside diameter, and said arm defining a longitudinal axis; a bracket secured to said arm at said proximal end, said bracket having an inner surface and an outer surface opposite the inner surface, with the proximal end of said hollow steel arm abutting said bracket on the inner surface of said bracket, and said bracket defining a plurality of bolt holes; an interior plate secured on the inside of said arm; and a first tendon secured to said interior plate and to said bracket, said first tendon defining a first tendon axis and applying a linear tensioning force pulling the interior plate and bracket toward each other, wherein said interior plate is located an axial distance from said proximal end of said arm that is between 1 and 3 times said outside diameter.