A transmission tower is a tall structure, usually a lattice tower made of steel that is used to support an overhead power line. In electrical grids, transmission towers carry high-voltage transmission lines that transport bulk electric power from generating stations to electrical substations, from which electricity is delivered to end consumers; moreover, utility poles are used to support lower-voltage sub-transmission and distribution lines that transport electricity from substations to electricity customers.
Transmission tower in Dnipro, Ukraine
Transmission tower in Toronto, ON
Single-circuit three-phase transmission line
HVDC distance tower near the Nelson River Bipole
A lattice tower or truss tower is a freestanding vertical framework tower. This construction is widely used in transmission towers carrying high voltage electric power lines, in radio masts and towers and in observation towers. Its advantage is good shear strength at a much lower weight than a tower of solid construction would have as well as lower wind resistance.
The Eiffel Tower, measuring 1,083 feet from base to tip, is perhaps the most famous example of a lattice tower. It was built in 1889, and was the tallest man-made structure in the world until 1930.
Tokyo Skytree, the tallest lattice tower in the world since its completion in 2012
The Tokyo Tower was the tallest lattice tower in the world for 16 years, from 1957 to 1973 and remains the tallest 4-sided lattice tower
The WITI TV Tower is the tallest lattice tower in the United States and the tallest 3-sided lattice tower in the world