Structural Dynamic Loads on Wind Turbines

[f95toli]

I am sure the problem is interesting in itself. However, as has already been pointed out: In reality you need to use FEM (or BEM, whatever works best) if you want to design something well. The problem is simply too complicated to be solved any other way.

And forget about writing your own software for a problem like this. I don't think there are any symmetries in this problem which means it is a full 3D problem. The meshing is very messy (and for something like this you probably should use adaptive meshing).

Buy FEMLAB or something similar...

 

[Leafblighter]

I think the industry here is trying to move to strength design (LSFD, if i remember correctly) for steel. Concrete is all strength design now, much more efficient than ASD, methinks.

Well, while not a structural engineer myself, but rather a grad student in architecture who's taken my own fair share of structures classes I can tell you that here in the US, ASD is not used anymore for steel or concrete. You're right, but its LRFD, not LSFD, Load and Resistance Factor Design. When designing wood structures you still use ASD though.

And yes, LRFD will give you much better and more accurate numbers than ASD could ever hope to.