Getting Started in Tower Design

[14159]

I recently went back to grad school and have a little more freedom to study topics of interest. For a long time, I've been interested in communications tower design. You know -- those heinously tall ones. My background is in building design and I have no idea where to start. I would appreciate it very much if somebody could give me a brief list of the key manuals and standards that must be used for these designs.

Are different manuals and standards used for the latticed medium-to-tall towers?

Thank you very much.
DBD

 

[dbuzz]

From a google:

http://www.powline.com/index.html

http://www.mstower.com/page-1-introduction.htm

These sites list some of the applicable design standards for what appears to be a range of countries.

 

[UcfSE]

https://www.asce.org/bookstore/book.cfm?book=2811

https://www.asce.org/bookstore/book.cfm?book=2807

https://www.asce.org/bookstore/book.cfm?book=3917

https://www.asce.org/bookstore/book.cfm?book=2693

Some ASCE books as well. These would be for the USA.

 

[J1D]

Check the design std of Highway and Transportation (American, but I forget the code #). I used that for microwave tower designs (long time ago). If it's for study you can refer to Canadian code CAN/CSA S37.

 

[am]

I would strongly recommend to read the following standards to start with.
AS3995-1194; Australian Standard
BS8100 [Part 1 and 4 mainly]; British standards
ANSI EIA/TIA-222-F-1996 [I am not if 222G has been issued yet]

Also, MSTOWER program, WEISMAN - Guymast programs for analysis and design of towers and masts.

Best of luck.

AM

 

[14159]

Thank you all very much for your replies! I know where to start reading now.

DBD

 

[audu1985]

You and me have the same problem. I decided to go back to school recently, after 15 years! I have always loved trusses - probably because they were always easy to solve. HOwever, towers are a different ball game - you need a hell of a lot of guts to take on the design of one of those, let alone modelling using FEA. I think I'll have fun though, if I can complete it on time!

Regards,

Audu

 

[msp1]

as tall as you'd like to design them...

http://www.c-conceptsinc.com/

this is the most widely used commercial tower analysis software, hands down, base upon TIA-EIA & ASCE-7. Check out the demo version. I use to design for Crown Castle and this is the only software they accept. If you want to design power line towers then the above

http://www.powline.com

is best. But what's even better than designing them is climbing them. Now thats what I call structural engineering at its best.

 

[amorrison]

Re: c-concepts = ERI tower
Nice manual and 30 day trial IF you have a password BUT
their phone seems to be disconnected .

 

[mrMikee]

Check out RISA.com

It seems that RISA has something to do with c-concepts/ERI Tower now.

Regards,
-Mike