Numerical study of composite fiberglass cross arms under statics loading and improvement with sleeve installation

Abstract

In this paper, the structural deformation of fiberglass composite cross arms under statics loading were numerically simulated using the ANSYS software. The alternate variant of cross arms with one-meter sleeve span installed on both arms was considered as an improvement study. By comparing both cross arms systems, it is found that the total deformation was reduced from 127.49 mm to 95.367 mm by introducing the sleeve. Besides, the stress level appears to be lowered in the cross arms with sleeve installed. The sleeve is regards as a viable solution to reduce both deformation and stress level of cross arms, thus lengthen its life span and saving maintenance costs. © 2019 IOP Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.