Self supporting telecom towers are free standing structures used in a telecommunication network. The importance of telecom towers cannot be undermined in a telecommunication network. Telecom towers play an important role in providing the line of sight to telecom equipment without which wireless communication cannot take place. There are several types of self supporting telecom towers which mainly include 3 legged and 4 legged self supporting telecom towers. Let’s take a look at 4 legged self support telecom towers.
4 legs self supporting telecom towers:
- 4 Legs Square Angular Tower: The 4 legs Square Angular tower is a free standing structure with square elements on a square base pattern. The tower is also known as an A tower. It is specifically optimized for handling medium to heavy loads, which makes it ideal for MW backbone sites, primary cellular sites, and central communication hubs.
- 4 Legs Square Tower: The 4 legs Square tower is also known as a G tower. It is a free standing structure made up of tubular and angular elements. The G tower design is specifically optimized to handle medium to heavy loads. The tower is fitted with an easy staircase to facilitate access to equipment and antennas fitted on it. The 4 legs Square tower is ideal for guard towers, forest fire control, and radar sites. The tower is specifically designed for heights of up to 50m.
Both the A tower and G tower are available in sections. The sections of the towers can be easily transported in a standard 20’ ISO container. The modular design of self supporting telecom towers allows engineers to make last minute alterations in the design of a tower to make it more suitable for a specific cellular site. Changes in tower design are accomplished by interchanging the modules of the tower.
Inspection and maintenance of a self supporting telecom tower:
The functional life of a telecom tower is reduced greatly due to inadequate maintenance and care. Telecom towers are exposed to different natural forces that include rain, snow, winds, extreme heat and cold and corrosive atmosphere. The natural forces and corrosive atmosphere can deteriorate the structure to a large extent. Besides, improper positioning of antennas and feed lines and loose members (bolts, sections, and hinges) hamper the structural strength of the tower.
This makes inspection and preventative maintenance an absolute necessity as they can lower the probability of catastrophic failure or mishaps. The maintenance procedure of a self supporting tower is a bit different from that of other telecom towers, such as guyed towers.
A quarterly inspection of the foundation is necessary for a self supporting telecom tower. The surface of the concrete should be carefully analyzed for cracks, spelling, chips, and any signs of visible damage. The soil around the foundation should also be inspected for any subsidence or movement. The anchor bolts, rods, plates and all embedded material within the tower framework should be checked for corrosion, and necessary anti-corrosion measures should be applied for preventing corrosion.
Self supporting telecom towers are expensive to build as they require a big foundation, but they are still widely preferred because they don’t need additional support for stability.
For more info:
guyed towers
lattice tower
Comments