Bystrup’s design competition-winning T-Pylons have been installed for the first time in Nottinghamshire

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Bystrup Arkitekter

Designed by Copenhagen-based Bystrup Arkitekter, T-Pylon is the competition-winning entry to find a new electricity pylon design for the National Grid. The brief was to replace the UK’s largely unloved lattice tower with a visually improved, functionally superior and more cost-effective alternative. Central to the design is the use of a single attachment point to carry the electricity conductors (traditional structures employ three separate arms, each carrying an individual conductor). T-Pylon is also shorter and leaner than the lattice tower, further improving its aesthetic appeal, as well as reducing its environmental impact and speeding up the installation process. The latter is partly achieved through the use of a single piled foundation. In addition, the pylon’s raised ‘arms’ are intended to give it a more optimistic and positive appearance.

The structure has an 80-year lifespan and is available in corten steel, stainless steel, or as was specified in the UK, a hot-dip galvanized and painted finish, writes Bystrup Arkitekter. As part of the development process, various shades of white and grey were tested at full-scale to evaluate their appearance in the landscape. Steel was favoured for reasons of strength, durability and ease of assembly. The shaft is welded in one or two sections depending on the length needed and the requirements for hot dip galvanizing and transportation. Optimised according to its structural needs, the thickness of the shaft reduces from approximately 22mm at the base to 14mm at the top.

Safety, security and maintenance form important aspects of the design. The tower’s monopole form makes it more resistant to theft, as metal parts cannot easily be removed. It also means that the structure cannot be scaled by un-authorized personnel, and therefore does not need anti-climbing devices. The latter are often the first items to corrode and require replacement – an expensive and time-consuming exercise. Unlike lattice towers, maintenance is undertaken from the ground using a mobile lift or platform. There is no need to physically climb the structure, making it inherently safer and quicker. The tower can be re-painted in only two days by two people. By comparison, lattice structures can take several people up to a week, and require more than twice as much paint. Finally, the simplicity of the tower’s design means that few tools are required to maintain it and/or change its parts.

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