ENGINEERING ARTICLES

Steel lattice towers are also used in electronic and communication industries for communication of microwave signals through different types of antennas. Several antennae are fixed on the tower in different directions at different heights as per the requirement and usage. The antenna positions decide the height of the tower. Symmetrical cross sections are preferred for microwave towers due to reversal of wind direction. Generally steel lattice towers with square or triangular plan are used for microwave towers. Angle sections and tubes are commonly used for the fabrication of these towers. Microwave towers are generally self-supporting steel lattice towers. Guyed towers are also used for microwave communication, but are least preferred for supporting heavy disc antennae. Wind load on the tower body and antennae is the major load on the structure besides the self-weight of the tower. Microwave towers are generally supported either at ground or at rooftop of some buildings. The tip de...

For optimization of transmission line towers, it is important to know various design parameters that control the design of the tower. Some of the parameters that dictate the configuration of the transmission line towers are briefly described below: TOWER HEIGHT: The height of the tower is determined by parameters such as number of cross arms, vertical spacing between cross arms, height of ground-wire peak, minimum ground clearance, maximum sag and other clearances. The cost of the tower increases with the height of the tower. Hence, it is desirable to keep the tower height minimum to the extent possible without sacrificing the structural safety and functional requirement such as ground clearance and electrical clearance. SAG: The conductor wires and ground-wires sag due to self-weight. The size and type of the conductor, wind and climatic conditions of the region and span length determine the conductor’s sag and tension. Span length is fixed from economic conside...