Abstract

The use of steel poles as support structures for lines in Mexico has increased in the last 30 years, mainly due to the increase in urban and suburban sprawl that demand less right of way for this type of infrastructure and less space for their foundations. To fulfill these requirements, numerous studies have been carried out related to dielectric sizing, optimization of the distance between phases to reduce electrical losses, wind hazard associated with the cable-insulator-hardware-structure-foundation system, structural design criteria based on reliability, natural-scale mechanical tests, among others. This article presents some reflections related to the different stages of the design of metal poles for transmission lines, from input data to structural designs, following the criteria of the Mexican electrical industry for a 230 kV pole, 2 circuits, located in Mexicali, B.C.