Innovative design of the world's tallest electrical transmission towers

Abstract

Providing a new 500 kV electricity supply to Zhoushan Islands off the east coast of China in 2018 involved building the world's two tallest transmission towers. The 380 m typhoon-resistant towers enabled high-voltage cables to span 2·7 km over the East China Sea. To reduce wind loads, the towers were made from a tubular steel filled with steel angle-reinforced, self-compacting concrete. This paper describes the design and detailing of the innovative composite members and joints specifically developed for the project. It aims to serve as a design reference for future long-span electrical transmission towers.