[TowerTalk] Fire damage to 100' tower with Phillystran guys - help needed

[Jim Hoge]

It's cheap insurance to replace the guy and you won't be second guessing yourself down the road. Both heat and moisture are enemies of the core material in Phillystran. My other concern would be the guy anchor. A good inspection of that is in order too. 


gl,
Jim W5QM



________________________________
 From: "Ralston, William" <William.Ralston at viasat.com>
To: "towertalk at contesting.com" <towertalk at contesting.com> 
Sent: Monday, July 30, 2012 12:38 PM
Subject: [TowerTalk] Fire damage to 100' tower with Phillystran guys - help needed
 
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 ¼ 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?

2.       If the PVC coating on the Phillystran is intact, do I need to worry about the underlying aramid (Kevlar) cable?

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.

73 de William Ralston N7VM

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