Tower Classification: Generally divided by shape into five types: Goblet-shaped, Cat Head-shaped, U-shaped, Cross-shaped, and Barrel-shaped. By application, they include Tension Towers, Straight Towers, Corner Towers, Reversing Towers (towers for changing wire phase positions), Terminal Towers, and Spanning Towers, etc.

According to the function of the tower in the transmission line, they can be classified into straight towers, tension-resisting towers, angle towers, phase-shifting towers, span towers, and terminal towers. Straight towers and tension-resisting towers should be set up along the straight sections of the line, angle towers at the turning points of the transmission line, higher span towers on both sides of the crossed objects, phase-shifting towers set at regular intervals to balance the impedance of the three conductors, and terminal towers at the connection points between the transmission line and the substation structure.

Categorizing by the structural material of the towers, the main types of towers used in transmission lines include reinforced concrete poles and steel towers. They are divided into self-supporting towers and guyed towers based on maintaining the overall structural stability. The structural forms of towers are diverse. From the transmission lines already constructed in our country, steel towers are commonly used in transmission lines with voltage levels above 110kV; reinforced concrete poles are typically used for voltage levels below 66kV. Tower guy wires are used to balance the lateral loads of the tower and the tension of the conductors, reducing the bending moment at the base of the tower. The use of guy wires can reduce the consumption of tower materials and lower the cost of the line. In areas with flat terrain, the use of guyed towers is more common. The selection of tower type and appearance should be calculated to ensure that they meet electrical requirements while also considering the voltage level, circuit count, terrain, geological conditions, etc. of the transmission line. Based on actual conditions, suitable tower types for a specific project should be chosen, and through economic and technical comparisons, the most cost-effective tower type should be ultimately selected.

Steel Tower Structure

The entire tower is primarily composed of three main parts: the tower head, the tower body, and the tower legs. For guyed towers, the guy wires are also added.

Tou Tai

The tower section changes abruptly upward from the base (appears as a zigzag line). The upper part above this change is the tower head. If there is no abrupt section change, the upper part above the lower cross arm is considered the tower head.

Tower Leg

The section above the base tower is called the tower leg.

Tower

The portion between the tower leg and tower frame is called the tower body.