Efficient matrix techniques applied to transmission tower design

Self-supporting transmission towers are highly indeterminate structures. Until recently, analysis of such structures was accomplished by determinate methods due to the number of calculations involved in indeterminate methods. Results from the former were often questionable because elastic properties of members were not considered. Today, large numerical problems are being solved with high-speed digital computers as a matter of routine. This paper presents a technique for efficiently solving large systems of symmetrical linear equations obtained from an indeterminate method of analysis without resorting to matrix inversion. A procedure for incorporating the analysis into a tower design program is then given.