Design of steel transmission poles is formulated as an optimization pr
oblem by identifying design variables, a cost function, and constraint
s. Nonlinearities in structural response calculations due to large def
lections are included in the formulation. An example problem available
in the literature is solved and the solution is compared with the pub
lished one. Several other cases of the example are solved to investiga
te the effect of certain parameters on optimal design as well as to sh
ow the flexibility of the optimal design process. Based on the results
of this study, it is concluded that the optimal design process can gi
ve more economic designs compared to the conventional design process.
Once the optimal design problem is formulated and implemented into a s
oftware, many variations in the problem conditions and parameters can
be studied in a relatively short time, which can lead to better design
s.