Project Location: Austin-Bastrop, Texas
Client: ABB Sistemas, S.A. de C.V., Nuevo León, México
Dates: February-2001 to March-2001

Five transmission towers for 345kV lines in Bastrop County, Texas, help to deliver energy from the Fayette Power Plant to the city of Austin. The loading conditions of these towers have been modified and the existing structural and foundation elements had to be revised under increased loads. Engineers from LCR&A analyzed the structural connections from the strengthened superstructure to the enlarged foundation. The design of the structural steel plates (size and thickness), bolt pattern for embedment into the foundation, and weld length of superstructure steel angles were analyzed with finite-element models.