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Rusty Steel

Technical Library

Qualities You'll Value

01

EIA/TIA Standard

The TIA/EIA-222 (F & G) standards apply to steel antenna towers and support structures for all classes of communications service, such as AM, FM, TV, VHF, Cellular/PCS, Microwave, licensed and unlicensed frequency bands, etc.

The standard utilizes wind and ice loading criteria based on an annual probability. It was originally designed for the United States however it can also be adopted for international applications, provided that the appropriate wind (fastest in 50 years recurrence or 3-sec. gust per “G” revision) and ice loading is available.

The main intention of the standard is to serve the public interest and protect the public safety through eliminating misunderstanding between manufacturers and purchasers. The information contained in the standard represents the accepted industry practices in the design of steel antenna supporting structures and is revised regularly to maintain its modern state of tower design practiced within the industry. This standard ensures that buyers have the opportunity to specify and obtain the highest quality product available for any given application.

 

Additional information about the standard can be obtained by following the links below:

Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA)
http://www.eia.org

Telecommunication Industry Association (TIA)
http://www.tiaonline.org/standards

03

CSA Standard

The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) sets the criteria for designing steel structures above 15m/ 50' height, and applies to all classes of communications service including AM, CATV, FM/TV, VHF, Microwave, Cellular/PCS, licenced & unlicensed frequency bands etc. Consequently, telecom structures that are 50' or higher and intended for a Canadian location must be designed according to the CSA-S37/01 specifications.

The standard utilizes wind pressure (in Pa.) based on 10, 30 or 100 years recurrence probability, but is not intended to cover all environmental conditions which exist at a particular location.

Why a CSA Tower in Canada?

  • Public Safety & Interest: the main intention of the standard is to serve the public interest and protect the public through eliminating reducing risks of tower collapse and occurring damages

  • Client Liability: the standard protects the client by minimizing potential risks and liabilities. Due to strict design criteria; a CSA compliant tower is not likely to fail once properly installed, thus drastically reducing liability risks for the client 

  • Construction Permits: towers for locations within a Canadian municipal area require permits, which need construction drawings, to be stamped by a professional engineer. In Canada, an engineer cannot stamp drawings that are not CSA compliant.

 

For more information visit the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) web site:
http://www.csa-international.org

05

ICAO STANDARD

International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)'s basic objective is the development of safe and efficient air transport.


ICAO collects and publishes comprehensive aviation data, and produces manuals for the guidance of states in such areas as statistics, air traffic and air navigation facilities. One of ICAO's chief activities is standardization, establishment of International standards, recommended Practices and procedures covering the technical fields of aviation.

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ICAO sets the standards on marking and lighting of telecom towers internationally.

 

For more information on the standard: International Civil Engineering Organization (ICAO)
http://www.icao.int

07

Hot Dip Galvanization

02

NBC of Canada

The National Building Code of Canada (NBC) is prepared by the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes (CCFC) and is published by the National Research Council.

NBC is essentially a set of minimum provisions for the safety of buildings (and telecom structures) with reference to public health, fire protection and structural sufficiency. It establishes a standard of safety for the construction of telecom structures (and buildings) which includes extensions, alterations and evaluations of any upgrades and removal of unacceptable hazards.

 

NBC is also responsible for releasing local wind data considered in design of telecom structures. The standard utilizes wind pressure (in Pa) based on 10, 30 or 100 years recurrence probability. In Canada, it is the responsibility of the design engineer to determine the applicable wind pressure and ice loading based on the National Building Code data.

The client should provide site-specific data such as antenna loads and the frequency bands, required tower deflection at antenna levels to assist the design engineer to determine the required tower serviceability, twist and sway. The standard may also be adapted for international use; however, it is necessary to determine the appropriate wind information and ice load at the site location in the specific country based on local meteorological data.

For more information visit their web site:

04

Transport Canada

Transport Canada/NAVCAN is a governmental regulatory organization overseeing air, rail, marine and road transportation.

It also sets the standards on marking and lighting of telecom towers within Canada.
The purpose of such standard is to ensure that an obstruction to air navigation remains visible at a range sufficient to permit pilots take appropriate action to avoid obstructions shorter than 305m/1,000ft within a horizontal radius of 610M (2,000 Ft) from the obstruction.

 

For more information on the standard:

06

FAA Standards

The Federal Aviation Administration is responsible for the safety of civil aviation within the United States. It's major roles include regulating civil aviation to promote safety, encouraging and developing civil aeronautics, including new aviation technology, developing and operating a system of air traffic control and navigation for both civil and military aircrafts, developing and carrying out programs to control aircraft noise and other environmental effects of civil aviation, regulating U.S. commercial space transportation.

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As part of their role, the FAA sets the standards on markings and lighting of towers and other obstructions.

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For more information on the standard:

Unprotected Steel can be seriously damaged due to such environmental factors as rain & snow, wind, and extreme temperature. Corrosion transforms steel back to its natural state of iron, which is very fragile and can prove deadly in structures supporting heavy pressure (e.g. Towers).

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The best way to avoid this phenomenon is through a process called "hot dip galvanization". It consists of dipping steel in melted zinc (450°C) at which an alloy is formed. The final product is a Steel surface protected with a zinc coating. The biggest factor in the appearance and gauge of galvanization is the contents of alloyable elements that are generally present in steel: carbon, magnesium, and silicon. If the content of these elements increase, the coating gauge also increases and it becomes matte gray. The greatest effect is produced by silicon in concentrations higher than 0.12%.

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Due to the difference of electrochemical potential between zinc and steel (Cathode Protection), a zinc coating protects steel against vigorous forces such as cutting, scratching, piercing, and most importantly against corrosion.

Section through galvanized coating showing pure metal zinc and zinc-iron alloy layers which are the normal coating developments on rimmed or aluminum killed steels.

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Section through galvanized coating on silicon containing steel; Coating is zinc-iron alloy which appears gray.

 

Section through brown stained galvanized coating which remains substantially intact under the brown stain. The uncolored material close to the galvanized surface is aluminum sheet used to assist in preparation of the section and to show the features of the coating more clearly.

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For more information on the process:

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