A lattice tower, or truss tower, is a freestanding vertical framework tower. This construction is widely used in transmission towers carrying high-voltage electric power lines, in radio masts and towers (both self-radiating towers and those that support aerials) and in observation towers. Its advantage is good shear strength at a much lower weight than a tower of solid construction would have as well as lower wind resistance.

In structural engineering, the term lattice tower is used for a freestanding structure, while a lattice mast is a guyed mast supported by guy lines. Lattices of triangular (three-sided) cross-section are most common, particularly in North America. Square (four-sided) lattices are also widely used and are most common in Eurasia. A lattice tower is often designed as either a space frame or a hyperboloid structure.

Before 1940, they were used as radio transmission towers especially for short and medium wave. Occasionally lattice towers consisting of wood were utilized. The tallest wooden lattice tower was at Mühlacker, Germany. It had a height of and was built in 1934 and demolished in 1945. Most wood lattice towers were demolished before 1960. In Germany, the last big radio towers consisting of wood were the transmission towers of the Golm transmitter and the transmitter Ismaning. They were demolished in 1979 and 1983 respectively.

The tallest free-standing lattice tower is the Tokyo Skytree, with a height of . The Petronius Compliant Tower is the tallest supported lattice tower at , being partially submerged. The city most renowned for lattice towers is Cincinnati, Ohio, which features four towers above in height. Tokyo is the only other city in the world that has more than one above that height.

The majority of the tallest steel lattice towers in the world are actually built in water and used as oil platforms. These structures are usually built in large pieces on land, most commonly in Texas or Louisiana, and then moved by barge to their final resting place. Since a large portion of these towers is underwater, the official height of such structures is often held in dispute. The steel lattice truss for these structures, known as jackets in the oil industry, are typically far more robust and reinforced than their land-based counterparts, sometimes weighing more than 50,000 tons as is the case for the Bullwinkle and Baldpate platforms, whereas tall (above 300 m) land-based lattice towers range from a high of 10,000 tons as is the case in the Eiffel Tower to as low as a few hundred tons. They are built to a higher standard to support the weight of the oil platforms built on top of them and because of the forces to which they are subjected. As a result, the cost to build these structures can run into the hundreds of millions. These costs are justified due to the resulting oil and gas revenues, whereas land-based towers have a much lower stream of revenue and therefore the capital costs of towers are typically much less.

Timeline of world's tallest lattice tower Since end of the 19th century, tall lattice towers were built. Lattice towers have even held the absolute height record. They are among the tallest free-standing architectural structures and hold a number of national records, such as the tallest free-standing or even overall tallest structure of a country.

Land record, iron and steel towers

Held record Name Location Completed Height (m) Height (ft) Notes From To 1852 1881 Carysfort Reef Light Key Largo, Florida, US 1852 36.6 120 1881 1889 San Jose electric light tower San Jose, California, US 1881 72 237 Collapsed in a storm in December 1915 1889 1956 Eiffel Tower Paris, France 1889 312.3 1,025 When built held the absolute height record for tallest structure of any type in the world until 1930 1956 1957 KCTV Broadcast Tower Kansas City, Missouri, US 1956 317.6 1,042 1957 1958 Eiffel Tower Paris, France 1889 331 1,053The Eiffel Tower regained the record when it added an antenna. 1958 1973 Tokyo Tower Tokyo, Japan 1957 333 1,093 1973 2012 Kyiv TV Tower Kyiv, Ukraine 1973 385 1,263 2012 current Tokyo Skytree Tokyo, Japan 2012 634 2,080

Land record, wood towers

Held record Name Location Completed Height (m) Height (ft) Notes From To 1853 1856 Latting Observatory New York City, United States 1853 96 315 Burned down in 1856 1899 1902 Wardenclyffe Tower Shoreham, United States 1899 57 187 1902 1926 Towers of South Wellfleet Marconi Wireless Station South Wellfleet, United States 1902 64 210 4 towers 1926 1928 Stadelheim Transmitter Munich-Stadelheim, Germany 1926 75 246 1928 1930 Flensburg Radio Tower Flensburg, Germany 1928 90 295 1930 1932 Transmitter Heilsberg Lidzbark Warmiński, Poland 1930 102 335 1932 1933 Sendeturm Ismaning Ismaning, Germany 1932 163 534 1933 1934 Transmitter Berlin-Tegel Berlin, Germany 1933 165 541 1934 1945 Transmission Tower Mühlacker Mühlacker, Germany 1934 190 623 Demolished on April 6, 1945 1945 1948 Transmitter Berlin-Tegel Berlin, Germany 1933 165 541 Demolished on December 16, 1948 1948 1983 Sendeturm Ismaning Ismaning, Germany 1932 163 534 Demolished on March 16, 1983 1983 1990 Transmitter Żórawina Żórawina, Poland 1932 140 459 Demolished during Fall 1990 1990 current Radio Tower Gliwice Gliwice, Poland 1935 118 387

Land and water record, overall

Held record Name Location Completed Height (m) Height (ft) Notes From To 1852 1853 Carysfort Reef Light Key Largo, Florida, US 1852 36.6 120 1853 1856 Latting Observatory New York City, United States 1853 96 315 Burned down in 1856, structure was an inspiration for the Eiffel Tower 1856 1881 Carysfort Reef Light Key Largo, Florida, US 1852 36.6 120 1881 1889 San Jose electric light tower San Jose, California, US 1881 72 237 Built using an unusual design featuring circular cross-beams 1889 1956 Eiffel Tower Paris, France 1889 312.3 1,025 Weight of iron framework 7,300 tons total weight of the tower 10,100 tons 1956 1957 KCTV Broadcast Tower Kansas City, Missouri, US 1956 317.6 1,042 Weight; 600 tons 1889 1958 Eiffel Tower Paris, France 1889 321 1,053 1958 1973 Tokyo Tower Tokyo, Japan 1957 333 1,093 Weight; 4,000 tons 1973 1977 Kyiv TV Tower Kyiv, Ukraine 1973 385 1,263 Weight; 3,000 tons 1977 1989 Cognac Platform Gulf of Mexico 1977 385.5 1,265 Weight; 45,000 tons or 59,000 tons 1989 1998 Bullwinkle Platform Gulf of Mexico 1989 529 1,736 Weight of the steel jacket 49,375 tons, total weight of the platform 72,000 tons 1998 2000 Baldpate Compliant Tower Gulf of Mexico 1998 581.5 1,908 Weight of the steel jacket 28,900 tons, total weight of the platform 38,700 tons 2000 current Petronius Compliant Tower Gulf of Mexico 2012 640 2,100 Weight of the steel jacket 43,000 tons, total weight of the platform 50,500 tons. When built held the absolute height record for tallest structure of any type in the world until 2010.

Steel lattice towers

Tallest lattice towers, all types List of all supertall lattice tower structures in the world.