Inqaba yothumelo (kunye nepylon yombane, i-hydro tower eCanada, kunye nepylon yaseBritani) sisakhiwo eside, ngokuqhelekileyo inqaba ye-lattice eyenziwe ngentsimbi esetyenziselwa ukuxhasa intambo yombane ongaphezulu. Kwiigridi zombane, iinqaba zokuhambisa zithwala iintambo zombane eziphezulu ezithutha amandla ombane amaninzi ukusuka kwizikhululo zokuvelisa ukuya kwiindawo zombane, apho umbane uhanjiswa kubathengi bokugqibela; ngaphezu koko, iipali zoncedo zisetyenziselwa ukuxhasa iintambo zothumelo lombane ezisezantsi kunye nokuhanjiswa kwazo ezithutha umbane ukusuka kwizitishi ezincinci ukuya kubathengi bombane.

Kukho iindidi ezine zeenqaba zothumelo: (i) inqaba exhonyiweyo, (ii) inqaba yokuphela kwesiphelo, (iii) inqaba yoxinzelelo, kunye (iv) nenqaba yokutshintsha.[1] Umphakamo weenqaba zothumelo ukusuka kwi-15 ukuya kwi-55 m (49 ukuya kwi-180 ft);[1] ezona zinde zii-380 m (1,247 ft) iinqaba zothumelo ze-2,656 m (8,714 ft) zeJintang-Cezi Overhead Powerline Link. , phakathi kweziqithi iJintang neCezi kwiphondo laseZhejiang, eTshayina. Esona sithuba side sokuwela umbane owenziwe ngamanzi yi-Ameralik Span yentambo yombane yokuwela i-Ameralik fjord, enobude obuyi-5,376 m (17,638 ft). Iinqaba zothumelo ezongezelelekileyo ziyafuneka ukunciphisa utshintsho lwemozulu, ke ngo-2020s iinqaba zothumelo zabaluleka kwezopolitiko.

Iinqaba zomzila wothumelo zidla ngokuhlelwa ngokwemilo, kubandakanywa uhlobo lweglasi, uhlobo lwentloko yekati, uhlobo oluphezulu, uhlobo olomileyo kunye nodidi lwebhakethi. Ngokwemisebenzi yayo, kukho iitowers zentambo yothumelo lwetension, iitowers transmission line towers, iikona zothumelo lwekona, iiterminal corner transmission towers (dead end towers), iinqaba zokuwela umlambo, njl.