Design
Vladimir Shukhov invented the world's first hyperboloid structure in the year 1890. Later he wrote a book, Rafters, in which he proved that the triangular shapes are 20-25% heavier than the arched ones with a ray grating. After that, Shukhov filed a number of patents for a diagrid. He aimed not only to achieve greater strength and rigidity of the structure, but also ease and simplicity through the use of as little building material as possible.
The first diagrid tower was built for the All-Russia Exhibition in Nizhny Novgorod in 1896, and later was bought by Yury Nechaev-Maltsov, a well-known manufacturer in the city. Shukhov was responsible for constructions of a new types of lighthouses, masts, water towers and transmission towers.
The broadcasting tower at Shabolovka is a diagrid structure in the form of a rotated hyperboloid. The Khodynka radio station, built in 1914, could no longer handle the increasing amount of radiograms. On July 30, 1919, Vladimir Lenin signed a decree of the Council of Workers' and Peasants' Defense, which demanded "to install in an extremely urgent manner a radio station equipped with the most advanced and powerful devices and machines", to ensure the security of the country and allow constant communication with other republics. Tower designing was started immediately across many bureaus. Later that year Shukhov's Construction Office won a competition.
The planned height of the new nine-sectioned hyperbolic tower was 350 metres (1,150 ft) (15 metres (49 ft) taller than the Eiffel Tower, which was taken into consideration when creating the plan) with an estimated mass of 2,200 tons (the Eiffel Tower weighs 7,300 tons). However, in the context of the Civil War and the lack of resources, the project had to be revised: the height was reduced to 148.5 metres (487 ft), the weight to 240 tons.[1]
Installation
Tower construction was carried out without any cranes and scaffolding, but only with winches. 240 tons of metal that was required for construction, was allocated by Lenin’s personal decree from the stocks of the Military Department. For lifting five wooden winches were used, which were moved to the upper sections.
The tower is composed of six sections, one above the other. Each section is an independent hyperboloid based on a larger one.
The sixth section was installed and finally secured on February 14, 1922.