Algorithm for assessing wind loads on working platforms of antenna-mast structures under conditions of digitalized engineering analysis

The paper presents a computational approach for evaluating wind loads acting on working platforms of antenna-mast structures within the context of modern digitalized engineering workflows. The proposed method treats platform guardrails as spatial lattice systems and accounts for the individual aerodynamic behavior of each structural element.

The relevance of the research is proved by the high sensitivity of antenna-mast structures to wind and by the absence of standardized procedures for calculating loads on auxiliary components, which often forces engineers to rely on simplified estimations with limited accuracy. The aim is to improve the reliability of wind load assessment for working platforms and to develop an algorithm suitable for integration into digital lifecycle support systems. The method involves elementwise calculation of projected areas, aerodynamic drag coefficients, filling ratio, and porosity-related correction factors.

The algorithm is implemented in Microsoft Excel to ensure transparency, reproducibility, and seamless adoption in engineering practice. An approbation was performed on a real tower with a height of 70 m and a comparison was made with a simplified method of equivalent area. As a result, the simplified approach leads to an overestimation of the load by 5–28% and an underestimation up to –63%.

Therefore, the results highlight the scientific and practical significance of the development and its prospects for implementation in complex domestic automation systems for engineering calculations of antenna-mast structures.

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