Analysis of Transmission Towers with Different Configurations

Transmission line towers constitute about 28 to 42 percent of the cost of the transmission line. The increasing demand for electrical energy can be met more economically by developing different light-weight configurations of transmission line towers. In this report, an attempt has been made to make the transmission line more cost effective by changing the geometry (shape) and behavior (type) of transmission line structure. This objective is met by choosing a 220 kV single circuit transmission line carrying square base self-supporting towers. With a view to optimize the existing geometry, one of these suspension towers is replaced by a triangular base self-supporting tower. Then, the structural behavior of existing tower is looked upon by developing a square base guyed mast. Using STAAD, analysis of each of these three towers has been carried out as a three-dimensional structure. Then, the tower members are designed as angle sections. For optimizing any member section, the entire wind load computations have to be repeated, simultaneously for the analysis and design. Then, all these three towers are compared and analyzed.