> > I currently have two towers, each having three sets of guy
> >wires. I put the high set of guys on one anchor, and the lower two sets
> >on a separate anchor. This I feel is safer in case an anchor lets go.
> >(Incidently, what let go in the tree accident was the guy wire clamps and
> >the tower sections which bent but not the anchors.)
> > If I should ever lose a top guy wire or its anchor, should I expect
> >to have the tower collapse instead of bending?
>
> Interesting question. According to the information that I've seen, a
> guyed tower will fall typically within a circle around its base approximately
> 30% of its height. It doesn't "fall over" because it is constrained, or
> tethered, by the remaining guy wires. Talk about a pile of scrap...
>
> BTW, this probably shoots the heck out of tower building set-back
> regulations.
>
> 73, Steve K7LXC
Several years ago, a freak ice storm (freak even for these parts) caused
the WBRE-TV tower to collapse. The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, PA area station's
tower succumbed to the weight of the ice buildup on the tower itself and the
guy wires. I don't recall how high it was, but a friend who surveyed the
damage described it as collapsing with a corkscrew type of effect. The
twisted wreckage was contained within a fairly small area.
My friend said it was one of the most unbelievable sights he's ever seen.
This was a huge tower with extremely strong SOLID steel members. Mother
Nature has a way of humbling us simple humans and our relatively inept
engineered structures!
May God bless the Texas victims and their loved ones.
73 de Glenn, N3BDA
--
FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/towertalkfaq.html
Submissions: towertalk@contesting.com
Administrative requests: towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems: K7LXC@contesting.com
Sponsored by Akorn Access, Inc & KM9P
|