Grass fires depending on fuel type can burn in excess of 1800 degrees
F. What types of fuels were burning around your guy wires?
Mike W0MU
W0MU-1 CC Cluster w0mu.net
On 7/30/2012 12:44 PM, K7LXC@aol.com wrote:
>>
> A recent fire in my neighborhood burned a few houses and most of my 5
> acres, but mostly spared my buildings (now brightly decorated with fire
> retardant and melted vinyl). The tower is 100' with two levels of guys:
> the Rohn
> catalog configuration except for the use of Phillystran HPTG6700I for the
> guys. The lower portion of the guys (up to about 15 feet above ground) is
> ? EHS. The tower base is fine, as the area around the base was well
> cleared; no damage to coax and equipment at base.
>
>> We are, however, concerned about one guy wire that passes over a stand
> of scrub oak. There might be damage to the PVC coating on the
> Phillystran, but we can't see clearly from the ground even with binoculars,
> and will
> probably be bringing in a lift to get a closer look.
>
>> My questions are:
> 1. Is there a point at which I need to worry about the steel EHS
> losing strength due to heat from the fire?
>
> I don't think so. A grass fire probably doesn't get hot enough
> to have much influence on the steel guys.
>
>> 2. If the PVC coating on the Phillystran is intact, do I need to
> worry about the underlying aramid (Kevlar) cable?
>
> No. The jacket is for abrasion resistance and doesn't do
> anything for the strength. If it would've gotten hot enough to catch fire,
> then
> the whole guy would have burned up.
>
>> And then the big question... any referrals to someone that would be
> able to (1) inspect, and (2) replace/repair as necessary? The tower is
> located 20 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, UT.
>
> Can you drop the guy and inspect it? The best way to inspect
> Phillystran or any other type of jacketed wire is to run it thru your hands.
> Any
> imperfections will be spotted easily. But if it didn't catch fire, I'd say
> you're good to go.
>
> Cheers & GL,
> Steve K7LXC
> TOWER TECH
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