Engineer Training Series – Guyed Towers

Part 3

Objective: Understand, Confirm, and Explore ... Past and Most Unique Practices

The following information is presented in a 3 part series that

cover the Parts, Foundations, Erection, and Maintenance

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efforts for each of the following structure types:

(1) Monopole
(2) Self Supporter
(3) Guyed Tower

Fred Teichman 04/2014

Part 3 – Guyed Tower Typical Use

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Maximum Height, Most Ground space required,
Great loading Capacity & Mainly in Rural area
Part Three – Why use a Guyed Tower ?

Guyed Tower
Guyed towers are the tallest

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A tall thin vertical structure that depends on guy lines for stability. The mast itself
has the compressive strength to support its own weight, but usually does not have
the shear strength to stand unsupported.

The main advantage of Guying is that it is cheaper than building a completely free-
standing tower, which can withstand the same force.

Further, it allows for very easy upgrading of existing structures. The disadvantage
of additional Guying is that it requires much more ground space.

Guyed towers require the largest footprint .

 Guyed Towers – Empty and Full for good reasons

The Tower is the antenna and
often is grouped with other similar
towers
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Or... the Tower is used to carry a lot of
antennas and equipment .
Vertical Real Estate !
Part 3 – Guyed Tower – Vertical Real Estate

Guyed Towers
• Typical Parts & Pieces

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(Structure & Accessories)
• Manufactures
• Foundations
• Assembly and Erection
• Maintenance
70% of the photos used in this material are from actual projects and referenced by customer & site.
Project drawings and costs information is available upon request. FredTeichmanHTH@gmail.com
 www. f u l l e r t o n e n g i n e e r i n g . co m
The Tower Section
Guyed Tower - Typical Parts
 Guyed Tower - Base Sections

3 common styles of base sections

Tapered, Pivoted and Composite

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The Tapered tower base is the most
common for the wireless industry
Guyed Tower Section Types – Welded

All Welded sections Weld-together Structures

Manufactured in 20' sections and can be
custom designed from 12" to 72" face
widths. Welded towers are ideal for ease-
of-installation and can be designed up to
1,200' in height.

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Guyed Tower Section Types – Bolted
Bolt-together Structures
Manufactured in 20' and 30' sections and
vary from 3' to 12' face widths. These are
typically assembled on-site. This type is
normally for large structures and can be
designed up to 2,000' height.

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Bolt-Together are the most common
Bolt on horizontals
and diagonals
bracing.
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The Tower Legs
Guyed Tower - Legs
Guyed Tower - Typical Legs
Hollow Round legs
Angle legs

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Tubular legs
(Steel Pipe) are
Solid Round legs
actively sold and
manufactured for
the international
market thru Rohn

Solid Round and Angle legs

are the most common .
However many tubular leg
towers are used for lighter
applications
Guyed Tower - Typical Parts

Bracing Designs

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Horizontals & Diagonals
(solid rod, tubular, flat bar or angle)
 Guyed Tower - Bracing type and design

Double bracing is “X” Angle bolt-on for both

Single braced is often
bracing Horizontal and Diagonal (X)
referenced as “Z” bracing
bracing

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Guyed Tower - Typical Parts

The Connection

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Section to Section

Guy to Section and Guy to Anchor

Guyed Section Connection – Flange & Splice Plate

4 bolt Round flange on knock down

(bolt together) sections

3 triangle bolt flange on welded sections Multi bolt Plate connection

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(old Grasis /Andrew tower)
 Guy Wire Connection – Guy Levels
Guy level
#3

Guy level
#2 Based on the design of the tower, guy
levels can be a single attachment from

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the tower leg to the guy anchor , or a
dual attachment from the tower face
Dual pull using a torque stabilizer (shown in
off upcoming slides)
Guy level
#1

Single pull off

Anchor
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Guyed Tower – Typical Anchor (Ground connection)
Guyed Tower Ground Connection – Anchor Detail

Anchor detail revealing

4 to 6 different guy
levels secured to the
Anchor head

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 Guyed Tower Air Connection – Typical
Single Guy connection from the tower

Same parts on
this end as well:
Preform
Thimble

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Crosby Shackle

Old style
“johnny ball”
shackle with a
popped thimble
(useless)
Guyed Wire Connection – Torque Stabilizer
Dual guy connections (2) at the same guy level is accomplished with a Torque
Stabilizer. This approach prevents twist and sway (movement ) because the pull is
from the face and goes to two different anchor points

Point to Point

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Microwave
antennas require
less movement to
stay on path
(aligned signal
strength)
Guyed Tower - Connections Recap
2 guy wires from the same guy level

Per guy level , The guy pull off will have one guy wire to each of the three anchor.
The Torque stabilizer will have two guy wires that go to two of the three guys anchors
pulling from the face vs the leg. This approach increases the number of guy wires to
each of the anchors.

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1 guy wire per level

Also – based on design

and soil conditions the
tower may have two sets
of anchors at the same
degrees – Inner and outer
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Access – Up & Down
Guyed Tower - Climbing
Guyed Tower Access – How to climb?
Safety climb A. Climbing the Sections (most common)
system
B. Ladder (inside, outside or leg) Tower face is the ladder

Interior climbing

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Or
Guyed Tower - Climbing: What you see less of...
• Step Bolts (leg) Only on Towers 750+’ and
taller may have elevators .
Step bolts - angle • Elevator (Broadcast These towers also includes
or round tower towers) climbing ladder and rest
leg
platforms

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 www. f u l l e r t o n e n g i n e e r i n g . co m
Manufacture
Guyed Tower - By Who
Guyed Tower – Manufactures: Who and Where

Is now
Plymouth IN Valley NE

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Sioux City IA
Ft Worth TX
Fremont IN

Peoria IL

South Bend IN
Newburg IN
Lansdale PA
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Accessories

Mounts
&
Guyed Tower Typical Parts
Guyed Tower - Typical Parts

1. Mounts
A. Three-sectored mounting frame
B. Side Arm mounts
C. Pipe mounts

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2. Cable Support System
A. waveguide ladder
B. Cluster & T Brackets

3. FAA Marking (structures 200’ or more)

A. Paint Banding & Red Flash
B. White Strobe
 Guyed tower – #1 Mounts
Antenna mounts are attached to a
single leg , or across the tower face Stand off
(leg to leg). Arms for
Omni
antennas
Single leg Face mount
sector mount M/W pipe

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mounts

Sector
Mount

Stand-Off Mount
with
tie back

Source: Comscope & SitePro

 Guyed Tower – #2 Cable Support Systems
Most Common: The Tower Cable Ladder on
face is outfitted with Diagonal the outside of
bracing that is punched or the tower face
modified to secure coax. Inside Tower with ...

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Tee Brackets or Cluster Bracket
Guyed Tower – #3 Lighting Systems – Reference
FAA Marking for structures over 200’ or near Airport zone.
Red light flashing requires FAA Orange White paint bands
Strobe requires lights only (day night operations)

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 Guyed Tower – #3 Lighting Systems

Old style - 2 bulb Red flashing beacon

Dual System
Old style - single Red flashing
side lights and White
Strobe

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Medium Intensity
White Strobe

*New LED Red beacon and side light

 www. f u l l e r t o n e n g i n e e r i n g . co m
Foundations
Monopole Foundations
Guyed Tower Foundations - Center Pier options
Drilled Pier for Tower Center - or - Pad & Pier for Tower Center

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 Guyed Tower Foundations - Guyed Anchors
Tower layout with
Standard Dead-man Anchor – Min of 3 3 anchors
per tower with as many as 9 total (inner,
center and outer positions)

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Non Standard Dead-man Anchor
 Guyed Tower Foundations - Center Pier
Pad & Pier
foundation

Excavating
the area

Based on

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size
continuous
pour is
possible

Center Pier

Rebar
positioned
on blocks
for proper
separation
ATC – Carbon IN
 Guyed Tower Foundations - Dead-man Anchor
Clean hole
walls holding
well - T shape
design for
anchor rod
support

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ATC – Carbon IN
 Guyed Tower - Guyed Anchor Installation

Rebar cage in hole and secured to anchor

shaft

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Concrete Poured to proper level

The walls are used to form

the concrete block

ATC – Carbon IN
Guyed Tower Anchor – Pour Soil Conditions
Not a clean hole (walls collapsed) - required
engineered steel casing & oversizing of
anchor block due to poor soil conditions

Walls collapsing
requiring forming of
anchor and soil

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bearing confirmation

CCI – Marshalltown IA
Standard & Non Standard Guyed tower Anchor

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Standard Anchor with stone and
fencing in open farm field

Why the fencing? ... Both farm

and wild animals like to use the
guy wires to scratch themselves

SBA - Breckenridge MN
Belknap MI – 300’ Guyed tower with elevated anchor
Guyed Tower – Offload, Assembly & Erection

Offload

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Assembly & Erection
Guyed Tower – Offload & Assembly
Welded sections require more trailer space but the consistent section size makes
it easy to stack (Erect)

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Guyed Tower – Offload & Assembly
Bolted sections can easily be transported but require much more assembly time
on site prior easy to erecting

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This tower was factory painted to be FAA compliant prior to shipping to site.
Guyed Tower – Layout & Guy Wire Cut Lengths
7 strand Galvanized Steel Wire is the most common Guy Wire used.

Guy wire is provided on bulk reals . Determining the

guy wire cut lengths require 3 points of information:
(1) Guy level height
(2) Anchor distance
(3) Ground elevation Hydraulic

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Tool
Guy Wire cutters
 Guyed Tower Assembly
Welded sections are bolted together 2 – 3 section (next guy level) for Crane lift

Bolted together sections are assembled then

bolted together

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Cut guy wire lengths
Lights and accessories
are attached Mounts are assembled
attached
Guyed Tower Erection – Using Cranes

When using Cranes to erect guyed towers, multiple

sections are set at the same time to reach the first
guy level. Each guy level is secured and tensioned
prior to setting the next group of sections to the
next guy level.
Guy wires are

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attached to sections
being raised.

Guy Levels 1 & 2

When Guy towers exceed

the height capabilities of
the crane ... Using a gin
pole is required.
Guyed Tower Erection – Gin Pole (How it works)

Double drum skid winch mounted to trailer

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Trailer is secured to
the trees with a
cable

Bottom blocks for

load and jump line

Winch is used to raise

the tower sections and
raise and lower the gin
pole during erection.
 Guyed Tower Erection with Gin Pole
As illustrated in the previous slide, the
gin pole (yellow) show here is used to
raise each tower section so that it can
be secured in place, the pole is then
raised up (jumped) and secured so it
can raise the next section. This process
is continued upward to complete the

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erection of the tower.

Skid winch

Load and
Jump
blocks at
base of
tower
 Guyed Tower Erection (small towers & rooftops)
On smaller structures , smaller winch and gin poles are used

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Capstan
winch
with foot
switch is
used with
rope to
raise Some devices are easy to handle
equipment
Guyed Tower - Typical Service

Maintenance

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Up and Down
(Lots to do)
Guyed Tower Maintenance – 5+ areas
Basic maintenance covers 5+ areas: Most towers are marked
with an identity tag/plate
1. Plumb & Tension that references ownership,
2. Tower Surface condition (Galvanizing) manufacture and drawings
3. Guy Anchor Shaft & Surface condition
4. Guy Wire Surface condition
5. Weed & Growth control

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6. FAA marking (Paint and lights) if required Sample
7. Confirm no lose bolts & equipment (tight) tower
plates

#1 product used in the

field for repairing
damaged galvanizing
 Guy Wire “Plumb” using a Transit

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Precision with respect to plumb,
Example of 2
tension, and twist is vital for maximizing
positions to check if
the lifespan of each guyed tower.
tower is straight
(plumb)

Plumb and Tension Training Video - http://youtu.be/mU8q8QGmXGE

9 min YouTube video
Guy Wire “Tension” 2 methods - #1 using a Dylan

Cable Come-along
2 ton with 20’ of cable

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Dillon (Dynamometer) used to measure
tension
Chicago Grip

Cable grip (guy strand)

Guy Wire “Tension” 2 methods - #2 Tension Meter(s)
Penn Tech Tensiometer
Penn Tech or Dillon

Both Installs, measures

and removes in seconds.
The digital load cell is
highly accurate

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Quick-Check
Tension Meter
 Guy Wire – Sample Guy Tension Chart

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Horvath Com – Wayne KS
 Guyed Tower – Corrosion Rust Inside Out

Tubular... Solid... Angle... ? Concerns about

increased corrosion of one vs the other ?

In our 35 years of building, installing and

maintaining towers sites around the world to

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date, Rohn has not had the experience of a
single ROHN structure suffering from internal
corrosion, starting from the inside out, and
causing a structural failure.

Tubular member towers have no shorter life

span than any other type of steel member.

http://m.rohnproducts.com/technical-
info/corrosion-rust-inside-out.html
 Guyed Tower Anchor Care - Concern for Corrosion

Iron ore requires energy or processing to be Annual inspection is highly

converted into steel and subsequently into recommended
anchor shafts. Because the steel in the
anchor shafts is highly processed, it has a
natural tendency to return to its native state Turnbuckles
- Iron Oxide. This process is known as

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corrosion or rusting.

Although coatings and galvanizing can

assist in limiting corrosion, they can not
be considered adequate corrosion
control by themselves in soil

Anchor Protection Systems – One method

known as Cathodic Protection (CP) is available
to protect the life of the anchor shaft.
 Guyed Wire & Anchor Care – Rust and Overgrowth
Its not
uncommon for
remote access
sites to be
come highly
overgrown

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In this photo
you can see
that the
galvanizing has
failed on the
guy wires,
preforms and
turnbuckles
 Guyed Tower – Guy Wire and Accessories – Rust
This much rust and deterioration on the
exposed galvanized surfaces clearly raises
concern on the condition of the actual
guy anchor shafts that are below the
earth

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Rust clearly has
damaged the
thimble that
separates the
turnbuckle and
preform
Guyed Tower Maintenance – weed control

Weed control and overgrowth is an

ongoing expense for guyed towers
due to their rural location.

Weed control is required at the guy

anchors as well as the tower base

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and complete compound
 Maintenance – FAA Marking (Painting)
The FAA has strict guidelines for marking structures over
200’. When specific zoning requirements prevent a tower
owners from using strobe lights, painting the Orange & White
bands on the tower become required. Repainting is a natural
occurrence every 5 – 7 years .
Fade chart is used to
determine if paint condition is

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compliant

In some cases the coax

Most Common brands
is also painted due to
the qty and possible
shielding – however
the paint sticks better
to the steel
 Maintenance – FAA Light replacement and Inspection

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Top & mid
point
Beacon bulb
replacement Vertical visual inspection inside and
outside of tower

Looking for weather

related failures, loose
hardware &
equipment , along
with poorly
supported cables
Side Light bulb
Guyed Tower – Summary & Key Points

• Least expensive
• Requires The Most Area

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• Tallest Heights
• Highest Maintenance
• FAA Marking almost always
• Easiest to Upgrade
Specialized Suppliers & Resources

www.primuselectronics.com www.wirelessestimator.com

www. f u l l e r t o n e n g i n e e r i n g . co m
www.sabretowersandpoles.com

www.valmont.com/valmont-
structures/products/wireless-communication

www.anchorguard.com/flow_charts.cfm

www.us-instrument.com

www.ep-ind.com Fred Teichman

www.linkedin.com/in/fredteichman