Evolving transmission grid Field tower – economical ... - Fingrid

Strength of steelon a concrete baseThe field tower stands firmly on four legs. Thefoundations of the tower are composed of twoprefabricated concrete sections joined together.This stabilises the tower structure. Separateconcreting work is not required, but the entirefoundation is built as prefabricated constructions.Each part of the foundation weighs 3 tonnes.In other words, the four-legged tower is anchoredto the ground using concrete foundations of 24tonnes.The tower is fastened to the four pillar elementsby means of anchor bolts. The mountingto the foundations and the loading of the towerhave been tested by the Tampere University ofTechnology. The tower with its base weighs almost40 tonnes. There are a total of 17 conductors onthe tower: 9 phase conductors in the 400 kilovoltline and 6 in the 110 kilovolt line. There also 2overhead ground wires. The heaviest of these isthe 400 kilovolt conductor, which weighs 2 kilosper metre.The material efficiency of the foundations andsteel structure is also an environmental asset. Thework stages related to the erection and maintenanceof the towers have been minimised, and thegoal is to schedule them at times when they causeleast harm to the farmer.The functioning, durability andsafety of the field tower have beensecured through a variety of tests.The test assembly of the towerrevealed that the details certainlyfit into place.Harmony of shapein the landscapeFingrid is an international trailblazer in combininghigh-quality industrial design and technicalconstructions. Special-design towers intended forbuilt-up areas and delicate landscapes are prominentexamples of the company’s approach whichrespects the environment. The oldest of these socalledlandscape towers date from the 1990s.The field tower carries on the same open-mindedapproach which has also attained internationalacclaim.The new tower is transparent and airy. It has alesser impact on the landscape than the traditionallattice design. This is of importance when thereare many towers in an arable landscape.Fingrid’s partners in the design of the newtower type have comprised the design agencyMuotohiomo Oy, Empower Oy which specialises inconsulting services in the energy industry, and theconcrete producer Betroc Oy.7