Wintrack and HighStep – the innovative cooperation for high voltage grids

Europe’s first cross border Transmission System Operator TenneT installed the first new, innovative high-voltage pylons in the Netherlands. The innovative design consists of two slender pylons from which the high-voltage wires are suspended.

During the last years a brand-new type of high voltage mast called Wintrack was developed for new 380-kV-lines along the A12 motorway near The Hague (Bleiswijk) that will form part of a large-scale grid expansion in the Randstad conurbation. The Wintrack concept consists of pairs of pylons (referred to as ‘bi-pole’) whereby the wire bundles between the poles (conductors) are secured above one other. This means that, in contrast to the familiar lattice towers currently in operation, pylons have no broad arms from which the conductors hang next to each other. The high-voltage wires also hang closer together than in existing high-voltage pylons, thus reducing the intensity of the magnetic field.

In October 2008 TenneT began to search for a very safe, ergonomic and especially aesthetic climbing system by opening a European tender. The HighStep system was chosen due to the outstanding benefits fulfilling the special requirements best.

HighStep is a revolutionary new, safe, ergonomic climbing system for ascending high masts, towers or buildings. HighStep defines climbing totally new. The system consists of an aluminium rail as the basis and selectable climbing gear.

The aluminium rail is installed over the whole length of the pylons and firmly mounted to it. The rail is ingeniously easy, easy to produce and free of maintenance.

Since the climbing system is attached outside of the cylindrical Wintrack pylons, it had to be very slim and elegant. Moreover, since the masts are painted in light grey in accordance with the most common colour of the Dutch sky, the climbing system has to have a certain colour. The HighStep rail has fulfilled these requirements in a smart way.

Along the rail climbing is conducted either mechanically (HighStep Easy) or automatically (HighStep Lift). Both devices allow climbing in an absolutely upright position (ergonomics) and tightly connect and secure the user to the rail several times (safety). Both and all further devices are transportable and quick and easy attachable to the rail.

The HighStep Lift is battery operated and therefore usable in the field. With fully charged batteries up to 25 buildings with up to 40 m height and a load of 150kg can be ascended without a battery exchange. The lift is remotely controllable.

HighStep is sustainable, because of the never changing rail. All devices – today and in future – will run on the same rail.