TRANSMISSION LINE TOWER

DESIGN

DIFFERENT STAGES OF THE TRANSMISSION

LINE PROJECT
Engineering ActivitiesLine Design.
Tower Designs.
Foundation Designs.
Stringing Charts
preparations.
Tower Testing.

Procurement /
Manufacturing Activities
Procurement of bought out
items such as conductors,
Ground Wire, Insulators,
Fittings etc.
Fabrication of Towers &
Galvanization.
Shipping of all material to
site.

Site Activities
Survey works.
Tower spotting.
Access Roads &
Platform works.
Soil Investigation.
Foundations.
Tower Erection.
Stringing.
Testing.
Handover

Towers
Self - Supporting
Lattice Structure
Members made of Angles, Plates
(Tubular sections are also used)
Bolted connections

Types of Tower (Based on kV)

HVAC TOWERS

33kV Tower
66kV Tower
132kV Tower
220kV Tower
400kV Tower
765kV Tower

HVDC TOWERS
500kV Tower
1200kV Tower

Tower Design
Types of Towers -Classification according to number of circuits Single Circuit , Double Circuit &
Multi Circuit Towers.
Classification according to function Suspension Tower, Angle Tower & Dead End
Tower.
(35 to 39)
Tower Configuration (Geometry) is governed by following -Length of insulator
Electrical clearances
Shield angle (Protection of conductors from lightening)
Ground clearance

Towers

Towers
Design - Span Lengths
Basic or Normal Span
Ruling or Equivalent Span
Average Span
Wind Span
Weight Span
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Towers
Design - Span Lengths
Basic or Normal Span
The most economic span for which the line
is designed over level ground giving the
necessary ground clearance at maximum
temperature
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Towers
Design - Span Lengths
Ruling or Equivalent Span
The assumed designed span that will produce
between dead ends the best average tension
throughout a line of varying span & climatic
conditions
Stringing charts are for these value of span in
each section

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Towers
Design - Span Lengths
Average Span
Mean Span

Sag Tension Calculation based on this

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Towers
Design - Span Lengths
Wind Span
Sum of half the span on the two sides of a
tower
Usually 10 - 15% higher in excess of the normal
span to cater to slight increase in angle of
deviation for optimizing

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Towers
Design - Span Lengths
Weight Span
Horizontal distance between the null points
on two adjacent spans

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Towers
Profile and Conductor Loads Sag
tension calculation
Parabolic Formula

Catenary Formula
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Towers
Sag Tension Calculations :
Parameter for Calculation
Conductor / Ground Wire details
Diameter
Youngs Modulus
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion
Weight per meter
Factors of safety for various climatic condition
Cross sectional area

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Towers
Sag Tension Calculations :
Parameter for Calculation
Climatic Details
Temperature & Corresponding wind pressure
Temperature of Conductor /Groundwire at
particular ambient temperature

Other Details
Parallel factor for Ground wire

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Towers
Outline
Tower Height - Governed by
clearance, sag, insulator lengths
Cross- Arm spread - Governed by
clearance,type of insulator string
assembly - I or V
Tower widths at base & waist

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Towers
Load Transfer from conductor points to
foundation
Cross Arm tips Legs & Lattice Foundation
Different Lattice Patterns Lead to different
distribution for loads.
Most efficient pattern to be chosen.
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Towers
Design Philosophy

Changed from Deterministic Method

to Probabilistic concept / Reliability
based method in line with IEC :826
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Towers
Design Parameters :
Service Conditions
Reliability Climatic loads under normal
conditions
Safety
Loads under maintenance
Security
Failure containment loads
under broken wire condition

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Towers
Design - Loads - Broken wire
Condition
Single Circuit Tower - Anyone phase or
ground wire
Multiple Circuit Tower

Suspension Towers - Anyone phase or ground wire

Small and Medium Angle Tower - Any two phases or one
phase and a ground wire on the same side and span
Large Angle / Dead End Tower - Any three phases or two
any phases and a ground wire on the same side and
span
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Towers
Design Parameters :
Climatic Conditions
Wind
Temperature
Seismic Intensity
Ice Formation

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Towers
Design Parameters - Loadings

Conductor Loads - Deviation , Wind,

Wind on Tower

Seismic Loads

Self Weight of Tower, Insulators

Erection / Stringing Loads

Temperature

Isokeran

Ice Formation

Broken Wire

Level

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Towers
Design - Loads - Wind
Basic Wind Speed - Gathered from meteological station and studies
Reference Wind Speed - Extreme wind speed over an average period of 10 minutes
Design Wind Speed - Includes the following factors
Risk Coefficient
Terrain Roughness Coefficient

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Towers
Design - Loads - Wind
Basic Wind Speed Reference Wind Speed

(Vb)

(VR)

Design Wind Speed Design Wind Pressure

(Vd)

(Pd)

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Towers
Design - Loads - Wind Load on Tower
For a panel, the wind load in Newton at the C. G.of the panel
= Pd Cdt Ae GT
Where,
Cdt - Drag coefficient - depends on solidity
ratio
Ac - Total net surface area of legs and
bracings of the panel
GT - Gust response factor - depends on terrain roughness & height of panel above

ground

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Towers
Design - Seismic Consideration
Not Significant in a
majority
of cases
Reasons
Light Structure - inertial forces are less
Flexible & free to vibrate
The critical condition of maximum wind
occurs rarely simultaneously with
earthquake

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Towers
Design Parameters :
Nature of Loads
Transverse
Vertical
Longitudinal

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Towers
Design - Analysis
Graphical Method - 2 - D Analysis
Analytical Method (manual calculations) 2 - D Analysis
Stiffness Matrix Method - Computer Aided - 3 -D Analysis

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Tower Design
Loading on tower (Refer IEC 826) -Transverse Loads (X Direction)
Transverse Wind on Tower members, Wind on Conductor, Earth wire, Insulators.
Transverse component of conductor & Earth wire tension.
Wind pressure calculation is based on Basic wind speed, Gust factor, shape factor &
wind zones, characteristics of the area.
(78)
Longitudinal Loads (Z Direction) -Longitudinal Wind on Tower members, Wind on Conductor, Earth wire, Insulators.
Longitudinal component of conductor & Earth wire tension. (Usually in broken wire
condition).

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Tower Design
Loading on tower -Vertical Loads (Y Direction)
Self weight of Tower, Insulators, Conductor & Earth wire.
Sag Tension Calculations
Conductor and Earth wire are cable structures.
Tension in conductor is inversely proportional to sag.
Sag and Tension are calculated based on -A)Basic span.
B)Conductor properties such as cross section area, unit weight, modulus of elasticity,
coefficient of linear expansion, ultimate breaking strength.
C)Wind loading on conductor.
D)Factor of safety.

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Tower Design
Loading conditions -Normal Condition All conductors and Earth wire are intact. The tower will be in this
condition for most of design life span.
Broken wire condition Unbalanced loading resulting the breakage of specified
number of conductor or/ and Earth wire
Construction & Maintenance loads
Anti cascading loads
Seismic loads are considered as per Equivalent static approach
seismic coefficient x weight of structure).

(Load = Horizontal

Factor of Safety
FOS = 2.0 For Normal condition loads
FOS = 1.5 For Other Loading conditions.
However as per IEC 826, Loads are multiplied by load factors and strength of tower is
multiplied by strength factors.

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Tower Design
Analysis -Transmission line tower consists of linear structural members connected to one
another by bolts.
For purpose of analysis, the tower is idealized as Space Truss.
Assumptions
Influence of gusseted connection in transmitting moments is neglected.
Leg members which are continuous are assumed to be hinged at joints.
Loads are acting only at joints.
Above assumptions lead to a conservative estimate of forces and deflections.
Limits for deflections -Although there is no specific code binding on deflections, it is controlled within L /
100.
Deflections are so small that generally first order analysis give satisfactory results.

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Tower Design
Tower Design -All members are checked for axial compression and tension loas.
Check for Compression load
The capacity of member is calculated based on Cross section area of
member, slenderness ratio, end restriction and material grade.
Check for Tension load
The capacity of member is calculated based on Net Cross section area of
member after deduction of hole area and material grade.
Capacity of bolts against shearing and bearing
Capacity of joint is calculated based on dia of bolts, grade of bolts, planes
of shearing, connected member / gusset thickness and member/gusset
grade.

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Towers
Design Assumptions
Analysis by 3 D Stiffness matrix method
Pin jointed structure :

axially loaded

members

Fixed support of Rigid Foundation

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Towers
Design - General Stipulation Member Dimensioning
Minimum Flange width vis--vis bolt
diameter
Minimum Thickness
Limits of L/ R ratio
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Towers
Design - General stipulations - Member dimensioning
Minimum Flange width vis- -vis bolt diameter
BOLT DIA

12 mm
16 mm
20 mm
24 mm

FLANGE WIDTH

40
45
50
60

mm
mm
mm
mm

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Towers
Design - General stipulations - Member dimensioning
Minimum Thickness
a) Leg members : 5 mm
b) Ground wire peak and External members
of Horn Peak
: 5 mm
c) Lower members of Cross - Arm
: 5 mm
d) Upper members of Cross- Arm
: 4 mm
e) Bracings & Inner members of Horn peak : 4 mm
f) Other members : 4 mm

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Towers
Design - Bracings - L/R

L/R ratios for bracings depend on the

Hip bracing patterns
The length of equal or unequal parts into which

the bracings are divided

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Towers
Design - General stipulations - Member dimensioning
Limits of L/R ratio
-

Leg members, G. W. Peak, and X-arm

= 120

lower member
-

Bracings

= 200

Redundants/Secondary Members

= 250

carrying members
- Tension members

= 375

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Towers
Design - Compression Members
Dictated to by buckling consideration
Affected by
Concentric or Eccentric load transfer at
either or both ends - for KL/ r < 120
Restraint of joints at either or both ends for KL/r >120

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Towers
Design - Reduction of allowable

stress due to b/t ratio

Due to local buckling of individual flanges of angle section

(Depends on the b/t ratio of flange; b is
measured from the end of the fillet to the
extreme fibre)

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Towers
Design - Tension Members

Net Area Calculation

Limit on L/R ratio < 375

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Towers
Design - Redundant - Criteria
L/r Limit < 250
Adequate support to the main
members - percentage of force in the
main member
Adequate to support a man with
tools (Say,150 Kgs at mid point)
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Towers
Design - Bolts & Nuts -Governing
Criteria
Shear stress on gross area (nominal area) of bolt
Bearing stress on gross diameter of bolt
Bearing on member
Tension

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Towers
Design - Stubs - Criteria
Same size as the bottom most leg member
Effective transfer of loads

Check against punching shear failure

Check against pull out while in tension

(Cleats to be provided)
Minimum cover distance in concrete

Provision for earthing

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TRANSMISSION LINE
FOUNDATION
DESIGN

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Foundations
Parameter and Details
Soil Type and Condition
Foundation Type
Loads
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Foundations
Types of Soil and Rock

Non-cohesive Soil

Cohesive Soil
Rock

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Foundations
Types of Soils
Non- Cohesive Soil
Sandy soils with very little clay /Silt
Soft and Hard Murrum
Easy Excavation

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Foundations
Type of Soil
Cohesive Soil
Normal Soil having mixture of silt & t
clay ( 15%)
Clayee Soils - High clay percentage
(> 15%) (Black Cotton Soil)
Marshy Soil having sea mud
SPT results not necessarily dependable
Lab test of undisturbed soil samples
preferable

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Foundations
Types of Soil
Rocks
Soft / Fissured Rock - Excavation without
blasting

Hard Rock - Chiselling, Drilling & Blasting

required
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Foundations
Soil Parameter
Limit Bearing Capacity of Soil
Density of Soil
Angle of Earth Frustum
Water Table
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Foundations
Loads - Types
Compression or downward thrust
Tension or uplift
Lateral forces or side thrust transverse & longitudinal direction
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Foundations
Loads - Resistance from soil
Uplift Resistance
Shear strength of the surrounding soil
Weight of the foundation
Rock Anchors

Lateral Force Resistance

Passive earth pressure of adjoining soil

Bearing Capacity
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Foundations
Classification

Based on Ground Water Table

Structural Arrangement
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Foundations
Type - Based on GW Table & Type
of Soil

Normal Dry Soil foundation

Wet Soil foundation
Partially submerged foundation
Fully submerged foundation
Black Cotton Soil foundation
Partial Black Cotton Soil foundation
Soft/Fissured
Rock foundation
Hard Rock foundation
Sandy Soil foundation
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Foundations
Type - Based on Structural Arrangement
PCC type
Pyramidal
Stepped
RCC Spread Type
Block Type
Under - Cut Type
Grouted Rock and Rock Anchor Type
Augur Type
Under- Reamed Pile Type
Steel Grillage Type
Steel Plated Type
Pile Type
Well Type
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Foundations
Design Procedure
Stability Analysis

Structural Design

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Foundations
Design Procedure
Stability Analysis- against tilting,
over turning , uprooting and sliding
Check for bearing capacity
Check for uplift resistance
Check for side thrust
Check for overturning`
Check for sliding

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Foundations
Design Procedure
Structural Design
Chimney
Base Slab
Pyramid
Block
Pile
Well

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Foundations
Structural Design
Chimney
Safe against combination of side thrusts &
uplift or compression
Passive resistance of soil can be availed except
for fissured rock
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Foundations
Structural Design
Base Slab
Bending Adequacy
Shear Adequacy
Limit State Design
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Foundations
Design - Material
Concrete - M 20, M15 for pad
Steel - HSD for main steel ; MS for
stirrups
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THANK YOU

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