Shukhov tower on the Oka River

Shukhov Tower on the Oka River (Dzerzhinsk High-Voltage Mast) is the world’s only surviving hyperboloid electricity pylon. It is located in Russia, in the western suburbs of Nizhniy Novgorod, on the left bank of the Oka River near Dzerzhinsk.

History

The Shukhov Tower was a part of a 110kV powerline crossing the Oka River. Between 1927 and 1929, two parallel-running, 110kV, three-phase AC powerlines designed by Russian engineer and scientist Vladimir Shukhov were built there. For the Oka River crossing, six hyperbolic pylons (three for each powerline) were built, a 20 metre tall anchor pylon, a 68 metre tall crossing pylon on the South shore and a 128 metre tall crossing pylon on the North shore. As the terrain on the South shore is hilly, the pylons there were lower.

In 1989 the powerline was rerouted and the 20 and 68 metre pylons were dismantled. The 128 metre pylons were left intact as a monument. Today, only one of the 128 metre pylons stands as the other was illegally demolished to sell its steel in May, 2005. [http://forum.dzerzhinsk.ru/viewtopic.php?t=3232]

Structure

The Shukhov Tower consists of five 25-metre steel lattice sections, formed by single-cavity hyperboloids of revolution. The pylon sections are made of straight profiles, the ends of which rest against circular foundations. The tower's circular concrete foundation has a diameter of 30 metres.

Present condition

The Unified Energy System, Russia's electricity company, has been using Shukhov's unique constructions for 70 years. The existing pylon currently requires maintenance and UFS is scheduled to repair it.

Non-hyperboloid pylons of similar design can be seen near Cadiz, Spain.

See also

* Shukhov Tower
* Hyperboloid structure
* List of Hyperboloid structures
* Vladimir Shukhov
* List of towers
* Electricity pylon
* Pylons of Cádiz

External links

* [http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showthreaded.php/Cat/0/Number/423966/ 3D model Shukhov tower on the Oka River]
*
* [http://www.shukhov.ru/deutsch.html Photos Shukhov towers on the Oka Riever]
* [http://www.pubs.asce.org/WWWdisplay.cgi?0510374 Invention of Hyperboloid Structures]

* [http://www.i-b.ch/01_Buero/Tec21_Suchov.pdf Die sparsame Konstruktion]
* [http://www.priebernig.at/files/v01_konstruktionform.pdf Konstruktionform. Nigres-Stromleitungsmast]

* [http://www.costruzioni.net/articoli/Shukhov/Shukhov.pdf "Vladimir G. Shukhov e la leggerezza dell’acciaio"] , by Fausto Giovannardi

* [http://www.5-tv.ru/news/details.php?newsId=6838 Video about the Shukhov tower on the Oka River]

* [http://www.dnxh.cn/blog/article.asp?id=191 Shukhov's Towers]

References

* [http://spec.lib.vt.edu/IAWA/inventories/English.html Elizabeth C. English] , [http://repository.upenn.edu/dissertations/AAI9989589/ “Arkhitektura i mnimosti”: The origins of Soviet avant-garde rationalist architecture in the Russian mystical-philosophical and mathematical intellectual tradition”,] a dissertation in architecture, 264 p., University of Pennsylvania, 2000.

* “Vladimir G. Suchov 1853-1939. Die Kunst der sparsamen Konstruktion.”, [http://www.uibk.ac.at/baugeschichte/mitarbeiter/graefe.html Rainer Graefe] und andere, 192 S., Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, Stuttgart, 1990, ISBN 3-421-02984-9.
* Jesberg, Paulgerd Die Geschichte der Bauingenieurkunst, Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, Stuttgart (Germany) , ISBN 3-421-03078-2, 1996; pp. 198-9.

Photos