The Role of Towers

Transmission towers are structures used to support conductors, ground wires, and other attachments, ensuring that the conductors maintain a safe distance from the ground, crossing objects, or other buildings.

Classification of  Towers

Due to considerations such as voltage levels, types of conductors and ground wires, meteorological conditions, terrain, processing, and transportation, transmission towers come in a wide variety. They can be classified based on structural materials, structural forms, load characteristics, number of circuits, and terrain conditions.

1. By Structural Material: Transmission towers can be primarily divided into reinforced concrete structures and steel structures.
   1. Reinforced Concrete Structures: Reinforced concrete towers, also known as reinforced concrete poles, are mainly used in low-voltage transmission lines where the load on the towers is not significant. They typically adopt self-supporting or auxiliary guy wire methods, generally using single poles, with some configurations using double or triple poles. Reinforced concrete poles are prefabricated in factories, allowing for high standardization, short production cycles, and minimal on-site assembly work, making them widely used in low-voltage transmission lines. However, their main disadvantage is that they are relatively heavy, making transportation difficult in mountainous areas, and they are prone to cracking. Compared to ordinary concrete poles, prestressed reinforced concrete poles can reduce the weight of the pole and improve crack resistance.
   2. Steel Structures: Steel transmission towers are mainly divided into two forms: lattice towers and steel pipe towers.

      a. Lattice Towers: Lattice towers are space truss structures, typically made from angle steel, steel plates, and steel pipe components, connected by bolts and welds. They can be further classified into angle steel towers and steel pipe towers based on the main load-bearing components. Angle steel towers are primarily composed of single or combined equal angle steel, with the entire tower structure made up of angle steel, connecting plates, and bolts. These components are prefabricated in factories and transported to the construction site for assembly using bolts. Due to the mature technology in processing, transportation, and assembly, lattice towers are widely used in transmission lines.

      b. Steel Pipe Towers: The main difference between steel pipe towers and angle steel towers is that the primary load-bearing components of steel pipe towers are steel pipes, which serve as the main structural elements. They may also use steel pipes in cross members and are connected through flanges or spherical nodes. Compared to angle steel towers, steel pipe towers have advantages such as lower wind pressure on components, greater stiffness, simpler structure, and clearer force transmission. They can fully utilize the load-bearing capacity of materials and are widely used in high-voltage and ultra-high-voltage transmission lines with significant load requirements. However, the larger size of individual components in steel pipe structures poses higher transportation requirements for construction sites.

      c. Steel Pipe Poles: Steel pipe poles refer to structures composed of single or multiple steel pipe components connected rigidly. In urban areas, suburban areas, and development zones where land resources are tight, steel pipe poles are widely used in urban transmission lines due to their small footprint, compact corridor planning, quick assembly, and high compatibility with surrounding environments. However, steel pipe poles are less efficient in load-bearing compared to truss structures, requiring relatively more steel under the same conditions. Although they occupy less land per base, they require more towers and have larger individual components, making them less suitable for transportation in difficult areas.

In summary, transmission towers are essential components of power transmission systems, ensuring that conductors are safely and stably suspended in the air. Their diverse classifications based on structural materials and forms allow them to adapt to various voltage levels, meteorological conditions, and terrain characteristics. As the demand for electricity continues to grow and technology advances, the design and application of transmission towers will evolve further. With the introduction of new materials and technologies, the performance of these towers will improve, better meeting the needs of modern power transmission. By optimizing the selection and layout of transmission towers, we can enhance the efficiency of power delivery while minimizing environmental impacts, thus promoting sustainable development in the power industry.