Hinged tower segments and transport method

A method of assembling a plurality of wind turbine tower segments for a wind turbine tower, the wind turbine tower comprising a plurality of cylindrical vertical tower sections, which in the finished tower are mounted on top of one another, a vertical section of the tower having a longitudinal axis and comprising a plurality of wind turbine tower segments, the tower segments having vertical and horizontal edges and combining to form a complete vertical tower section by joining along their vertical edges, wherein adjacent vertical tower sections are joined to each other along the horizontal edges of the wind turbine tower segments, and wherein a first segment and a second segment of a plurality of the wind turbine tower segments are coupled together at first respective vertical edges of the first and second segments by means of at least a first hinge located at the vertical edges;

• the method comprising:
• securing the first segment with respect to the second segment to prevent the segments moving relative to one another about the hinged edge
• coupling a crane to the secured segments;
• lifting the first and second segments to a substantially vertical orientation;
• rotating the second segment with respect to the first segment about the hinged edge whilst the segments are lifted and in the substantially vertical orientation;
• and
• lowering the first and second segments onto a site of wind turbine tower construction.