Comparative structural wind load analysis of a steel lighting post using TS 498 and TS en 1991-1-4 standards

While structures are designed, they are built considering that they will be exposed to all kinds of environmental factors throughout their service and life span. Lighting poles should also be designed in line with appropriate criteria, considering environmental factors. Lighting poles with different designs should be evaluated differently both visually and structurally. Lighting poles are structures that carry the lighting system used for ground lighting. Due to their thin-walled structure, they are in the class of very slender and long structures. The gaps on their walls increase their slenderness and affect their structural behavior under wind loads. Many loads affect all engineering structures throughout their economic life. One of the most important loads that affect structures and have destructive effects is wind loads. While some studies examined earthquake and wind forces in the same study, some studies examined only one type of load. In slender and tall structures such as reinforced concrete industrial chimneys, minarets, stadium lighting towers, the effects of these loads can be evaluated separately. In this study, comparative wind load analysis of a steel lighting pole using TS 498 and TS-EN-1991-1-4 standards was carried out for cases where the 1st mode frequency is fixed and the 1st mode frequency varies with the wind speed. TS 498 standard is a load standard prepared within the Turkish Standards Institute. TS-EN-1991-1-4 was accepted and put into use at the meeting of the Turkish Standards Institute dated 06.12.2007, based on the standard called "Eurocode 1-Actions on structures-Part 1-4: General actions-Wind actions". Another important issue is to compare the structural analysis results found in the TS-EN-1991-1-4 standard with those found using the TS 498 standard. From detailed research, no study could be found on comparative analysis of steel lighting poles. This issue once again shows the importance of the work done. In summary, in this study, a comparative structural wind analysis of a steel lighting pole was performed using TS 498 and TS-EN-1991-1-4 standards. As it is the first in Turkey, this study is aimed to be guiding and enlightening.