[TowerTalk] Guying free-standing towers: the initial post

[Keith Dutson]

Well said.

I would like to add that ANY tower, self-supporting or not, can benefit
greatly from the addition of properly sized guys.  This benefit is solely
for the prevention of buckling of the tower due to horizontally applied
force such as wind and rotational torque.

Keith NM5G

-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Jim Jarvis
Sent: Monday, April 11, 2005 7:55 AM
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: [TowerTalk] Guying free-standing towers: the initial post


If I remember correctly, this started with a question from a chap who is
putting up a self-supporter which is too close to a power line.  He asked if
there were any problems with a safety guy.

There was ONE direct answer...keep it loose and you'll be fine.  Then the
thread took on a life of its own.

Let's be clear, however:  Tensioned guys add load to a tower.
Therefore, the tower will reach its material failure point sooner.  Might be
5%, might be 50%, depending on how much you stress it, and where.  Answering
the implied questions requires careful structural analysis, not debate.  

The function of the guys, is NOT to add strength to the system.  The
function is to force a different failure mode, and the price of doing that
will be reduced load rating, or earlier failure, if loaded to original
specification.

There was one OTHER useful observation:  make certain you have it well
grounded, and hope for the best.

As for me, I would strongly encourage locating the tower further (safely)
away from the power line, and following
the manufacturer's installation instructions.   

n2ea
jimjarvis at ieee.org 

_______________________________________________

See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless
Weather Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any
questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.

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