: Predominantly steel (66–79% of total mass), with concrete-steel hybrids becoming popular for taller towers to reduce costs.

Designing a modern wind turbine is an interdisciplinary engineering feat that balances aerodynamics, structural integrity, and advanced material science. As turbines grow larger to capture more energy—some now exceeding heights of 300 meters—engineers face "grand challenges" in modeling atmospheric turbulence and managing the extreme structural loads on increasingly flexible components.

: Simulations evaluate how the structure withstands gravitational, inertial, and environmental loads (like ice or hail) over a 25-year lifespan.