Gerbrandy Tower
Encyclopedia
The Gerbrandy Tower is a tower which was built in 1961 in the Netherlands
.
. The Gerbrandy Tower is used for directional radio services and for FM- and TV-broadcasting. The Gerbrandy Tower consists of a concrete tower with a height of 100 meters on which a guyed aerial mast is mounted. Its total height was originally 382.5 meters, but in 1987 it was reduced to 375 meters.
On August 2nd, 2007 its analog antenna was replaced by a digital one reducing its height by another 9 meters. Its height is now 366.8 meters.
Towers of this type do not fit well in existing classification hierarchies of free standing tower antennas or guyed
masts since they incorporate elements from both. If the structure is counted as a tower, it is the tallest tower in Western Europe. The Gerbrandy Tower is not the only tower which consists of a concrete tower on which a guyed mast is set. There are at least two similar but smaller towers with the same structure. One is the radio tower of Zendstation Smilde
(Netherlands), which consisted of an 80 meter high concrete tower, on which a 223.5 meter high guyed mast was mounted. This structure collapsed after a fire on July 15th, 2011. It is unclear whether the tower is to be restored to its original height and design. Another example is Waldenburg TV Tower with a total height of 145 meters.
, prime minister of the Netherlands
during World War Two
.
Nearby, there are two other remarkable masts, the mast of mediumwave transmitter Lopik
and KNMI-mast Cabauw
, a mast used for meteorological measurements.
caught fire and collapsed, after which all transmitters in the Gerbrandy tower were shut down as a precaution, leaving large parts of the Netherlands without FM-radio and digital TV (DVB-T) reception.
: a company established in 2007 that bought many assets from KPN
. Alticom was part of the European TDG Group, but in June 2011 it was announced that all shares in Alticom were acquired by investment company Infracapital who are the infrastructure specialists of Prudential plc
.
Alticom is the owner of the concrete base and the first 3 meters of ground around this base. The metal mast on top of the structure is owned by NOVEC, which is a subsidiary
of the electricity transmission operator TenneT
. And the ground on which the tower is built, excluding the first 3 meters around the base, is (still) owned by KPN.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
Description
It is situated in IJsselsteinIJsselstein
IJsselstein is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht. IJsselstein received city rights in 1331. IJsselstein owes its name to the river Hollandse IJssel which flows through the city....
. The Gerbrandy Tower is used for directional radio services and for FM- and TV-broadcasting. The Gerbrandy Tower consists of a concrete tower with a height of 100 meters on which a guyed aerial mast is mounted. Its total height was originally 382.5 meters, but in 1987 it was reduced to 375 meters.
On August 2nd, 2007 its analog antenna was replaced by a digital one reducing its height by another 9 meters. Its height is now 366.8 meters.
Towers of this type do not fit well in existing classification hierarchies of free standing tower antennas or guyed
Guy-wire
A guy-wire or guy-rope, also known as simply a guy, is a tensioned cable designed to add stability to structures . One end of the cable is attached to the structure, and the other is anchored to the ground at a distance from the structure's base...
masts since they incorporate elements from both. If the structure is counted as a tower, it is the tallest tower in Western Europe. The Gerbrandy Tower is not the only tower which consists of a concrete tower on which a guyed mast is set. There are at least two similar but smaller towers with the same structure. One is the radio tower of Zendstation Smilde
Zendstation Smilde
Zendstation Smilde is a tall, guyed structure similar to the Gerbrandy Tower, built in Hoogersmilde, the Netherlands in 1959 for directional radio services and TV and FM-transmissions. It consists of an 80 metre high reinforced concrete tower and had until a fire accident on July 15, 2011, a guyed...
(Netherlands), which consisted of an 80 meter high concrete tower, on which a 223.5 meter high guyed mast was mounted. This structure collapsed after a fire on July 15th, 2011. It is unclear whether the tower is to be restored to its original height and design. Another example is Waldenburg TV Tower with a total height of 145 meters.
Largest Christmas tree
During the Christmas season lamps are put on the guys and make the tower the biggest Christmas tree in the world. There were plans to limit these decorations to once every 5 years, but sponsoring has allowed the seasonal lighting to be put up every year so far. However, during Christmas 2006 there were no decorations on the mast.Naming
The tower is named after Pieter GerbrandyPieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy
Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy was a Dutch politician of the Anti Revolutionary Party . He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from September 3, 1940 until June 24, 1945. He was the Prime Minister of the Dutch government in exile during World War II...
, prime minister of the Netherlands
Prime Minister of the Netherlands
The Prime Minister of the Netherlands is the chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Netherlands. He is the de facto head of government of the Netherlands and coordinates the policy of the government...
during World War Two
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Nearby, there are two other remarkable masts, the mast of mediumwave transmitter Lopik
Mediumwave transmitter Lopik
The Mediumwave transmitter Lopik is a medium wave broadcasting facility near Lopik in the Netherlands. It works on 675 kHz and uses as aerial a 196 metre high guyed steel framework mast, which was built in 1938 and which is insulated against ground...
and KNMI-mast Cabauw
KNMI-mast Cabauw
The KNMI-mast Cabauw is a 213 metre high guyed mast for meteorological measurements at Cabauw, the Netherlands.In 1972 at Cabauw a 213 m high mast was specifically built for meteorological research to establish relations between the state of the atmospheric boundary layer , land surface conditions...
, a mast used for meteorological measurements.
Fires in Dutch TV-masts
On July 15th, 2011 there was a small fire in the Gerbrandy tower. Only hours later, a similar tower in SmildeZendstation Smilde
Zendstation Smilde is a tall, guyed structure similar to the Gerbrandy Tower, built in Hoogersmilde, the Netherlands in 1959 for directional radio services and TV and FM-transmissions. It consists of an 80 metre high reinforced concrete tower and had until a fire accident on July 15, 2011, a guyed...
caught fire and collapsed, after which all transmitters in the Gerbrandy tower were shut down as a precaution, leaving large parts of the Netherlands without FM-radio and digital TV (DVB-T) reception.
Owner
The ownership of the tower is complex: the concrete main structure is owned by AlticomAlticom
Alticom bv is a Dutch company that owns 33 transmission masts in The Netherlands. Alticom offers space on these masts for antennas to operators of telecommunication networks and room within the constructions for the associated equipment and as colocation/data center.-Masts and towers:Alticom owns...
: a company established in 2007 that bought many assets from KPN
KPN
KPN is a Dutch landline and mobile telecommunications company, including both 2G and 3G mobile operations...
. Alticom was part of the European TDG Group, but in June 2011 it was announced that all shares in Alticom were acquired by investment company Infracapital who are the infrastructure specialists of Prudential plc
Prudential plc
Prudential plc is a multinational financial services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom.Prudential's largest division is Prudential Corporation Asia, which has over 15 million customers across 13 Asian markets and is a top-three provider of life insurance in mainland China, Hong...
.
Alticom is the owner of the concrete base and the first 3 meters of ground around this base. The metal mast on top of the structure is owned by NOVEC, which is a subsidiary
Subsidiary
A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...
of the electricity transmission operator TenneT
TenneT
TenneT B.V. is the national electricity transmission system operator of the Netherlands, headquartered in Arnhem. Controlled and owned by the Dutch government, it is responsible for overseeing the operation of the 380 and 220 kV high-voltage grid throughout the Netherlands and its...
. And the ground on which the tower is built, excluding the first 3 meters around the base, is (still) owned by KPN.