National Grid Pylon

Client: National Grid

Sector: Product Design

Status: Design Competition

The proposed V-type pylon is a natural evolution of the existing iconic design.

It is a fully triangulated steel lattice, providing a stable and highly efficient structural form, and uses less steel than the current design.

The facetted ‘arms’ (which appear to be curved but are in fact made with straight steel angles) taper to their tips, complementing the natural catenary created by the conductors when strung between pylons. The design has been carefully considered to create a sense of order that goes beyond engineering requirements alone.

The lattice structure of the V-type pylon provides a natural transition and a family connection with existing designs.The V-type pylon can be designed, fabricated, constructed and maintained with the skills that already exist in the power transmission industry. It is assembled from straight steel angle members, bent gusset plates and bolted connections, all of which are simple items to fabricate.

The lattice is amenable to pre-fabrication, thereby reducing work at height during construction. Corrosion protection will be a ‘duplex’ galvanising and paint system, giving extended periods between maintenance and a means of introducing colour to the design where appropriate.

The whole life cost of the V-pylon is comparable to existing designs. It is efficient in its use of materials, easy to operate and maintain yet can be recycled at the end of its service life.

The V-type pylon retains all of the functional benefits of the existing design whilst balancing the need for a solution that fits in better with our countryside.