[TowerTalk] Guy Effects

[Michael Keane K1MK]

At 12:23 PM 7/31/05, Dale Martin wrote:

>I looked in the archives, but did not see.....
>
>Given that a properly EHS guyed 70' Rohn 25g tower has it's guys adjusted to
>400lbs tension, what is the effect on the tower when one leg set of guys is
>suddenly removed?
>
>I've wondered and thought and worried about it -- not that it might happen,
>but ya never know.
>
>What, indeed, will happen?

In no wind conditions? Then it doesn't result in an immediate failure.

Most of that 400 lbs of preload was developed by pulling against and 
stretching the other two sets of guys.

When the tension in one set of guys is released, the tower starts to 
lean slightly in the direction away from the free set of guys,. That 
lets the two remaining set of guys go slack, releasing their 
tension.  At that point the tower stops and it is quasi-stable.

Then a breeze starts to blow...

73,
Mike K1MK

Michael Keane K1MK
k1mk at alum.mit.edu