Engineering Structures, vol.220, 2020 (SCI-Expanded)
In this study, a tower crane mast which is very sensitive to the dynamic effects that will occur due to its delicate
structure was scaled by similitude theory for the purpose of using in experimental studies. The variables that
describe the structure in terms of dynamic were determined and pi groups were created by using the
Buckingham Pi Theorem. A finite element model that is able to calculate the natural frequencies, mass participation factors, and draw the mode shapes of a structure composed of space frame elements was developed. The
mast was scaled down to use in the laboratory environment with two different scale factors as 30 and 40. The
most suitable model which represents the dynamic behavior of the real-size tower crane mast for the experimental studies was determined by comparing the modal analysis results of the real-size and scale models.