Bystrup wins UK Pylon Design Competition with T-Pylon
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Bystrup’s T-Pylon has beaten six other finalists to be crowned the winner of the Pylon Design Competition.
The Department of Energy & Climate Change, National Grid and the Royal Institute of British Architects ran the competition from May this year, which received more than 250 applications.
Henrik Skouboe, Bystrup chief executive officer, told The Engineer: ‘The steel lattice pylons currently in use across the UK have a height of approximately 55m, whereas the T-Pylon has a height of about 32m, which results in a less significant visual impact.’
The T-Pylon is expected to weigh between 20–25 tonnes, which is approximately the same as the lattice towers. However, the T-Pylon is said to incorporate modern design and production techniques, which makes them cheaper to manufacture according to Skouboe.
Installation of the T-Pylon is thought to be much simpler as it consists of only four or five parts, compared with the lattice tower.
There are more than 88,000 pylons in the UK, carrying up to 400,000 volts of electricity over thousands of miles.
Energy and climate change secretary Chris Huhne, said in a statement: ‘This is an innovative design that is simple, classical and practical.
‘This competition has been a great success in bringing forward new and creative approaches to a pylon model, which has not changed since the 1920s.’
Bystrup will develop its T-Pylon design with National Grid and receive £5,000 in prize money. The five other finalists will receive £1,000 prize money.
Nick Winser, executive director for National Grid, said in a statement: ‘In the T-Pylon, we have a design that has the potential to be a real improvement on the steel lattice tower. It’s shorter, lighter and the simplicity of the design means it would fit into the landscape more easily. In addition, the design of the electrical components is genuinely innovative and exciting.’
National Grid has also said it wants to do further work with Ian Ritchie Associates on its Silhouette design, and New Town Studio’s Totem design.
Readers' comments (4)
Stephen Mosley | 17 Oct 2011 2:01 pm
I presume there is a reason for the height of the current pylons so it would be interesting to know just why this can be so much shorter?
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JohnK | 17 Oct 2011 2:37 pm
Similar to those used in the USA (or for wind turbine towers). Pre-manufactured, galvanised tubular steel modules mounted one atop another and bolted into place. Mount 'T' bars on top of each other to increase capacity. I assume a minimum ground clearance for the lowest cable was part of the original specification. Simple, yes, but hardly revolutionary. What about ease of access for maintenance and will they be made in the UK?
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Karl Schultze | 18 Oct 2011 0:06 am
Looks great just like the wind turbines. I hope the national grid takes some of these ideas seriously and implements them.
JohnK has a great point about maintenance. Current pylons are giant climbing frames, this design is a tree stump.
I live on a farm and this would be great, it will take up less land space in the fields, be easier to see and avoid hitting with the ploughs.
If they do implement something similar, there are going to be so those that'll oppose it.... just like wind turbines.
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John Steel | 5 Jan 2012 7:47 pm
The designers appear to have no knowledge of high voltage insulator design particularly that required for UK weather conditions and heavy industrial and sea salt pollution. For example the proposed design has about 2.4 times as much insulation to support the cables as the existing pylons. The addition weight has to be supported and the electrical losses due to leakage across insulator surfaces will be significantly higher. The insulator between the upper two phases has to withstand compressive forces and will therefore be massive compared with the other phase to phase insulators which can be of conventional porcelain or glass design. Maybe the designers think that reinforced plastic can be used. Well, if they are happy to change the insulation annually it might just work. I could go on but that is just for starters!
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