CAMOUFLAGE

20/20 Vision
Disguise or Hide

TOWER TECHNOLOGY
Composite Structures
Rev. H
Reliability
Antenna Mounts
July 2018 /// Volume 15 /// No. 7
2aglaglmagazine
magazine July 2018
2
 Editorial Comment

DAS and Small Cells

Executive Editor/Associate Publisher
Don Bishop In focusing on two retail spaces where many people bring
913.322.4569 of the fastest- their own wireless devices with them,
dbishop@aglmediagroup.com
growing segments and warehouse space where wireless
Copy Editors of the wireless communications is lightly used.
Christina Huth
Brye Steeves infrastr ucture The trend many proponents of in-
business, the DAS & building wireless communications
Contributing Editors
Ted Abrams, P.E. Small Cells Congress lived up to its systems promote is for the building
206.661.8429
tabrams@aglmediagroup.com
name. Conducted in June at Planet owners to pay. But reluctance by the
Hollywood in Las Vegas, the Con- wireless carriers and building owners
J. Sharpe Smith
515.279.2282 gress offered information and advice has opened the door for companies
ssmith@aglmediagroup.com to those seeking to sell products and offering to finance the installations.
Art Director services for mobile communications Meanwhile, the force of govern-
Amy Price network densification projects with ment pushes building owners to have
Riverworks Marketing Group
423.710.3866 small cells and with in-building wire- in-building wireless communications
less communications systems. systems installed, one way or another.
AGL Media Group, LLC
The chairman of the conference, DAS & Small Cells Congress isn’t the
Richard P. Biby P.E., CEO/Publisher Kyung Mun, a principal analyst with only conference to point this out, but
540.338.4363
rbiby@aglmediagroup.com Mobile Experts, said that network the conference kept a spotlight on the
expansion and improvement, includ- need for buildings to support public
Rick Heilbrunn, President/COO
703.759.0743 ing existing 4G technology and pend- safety wireless communications.
rheilbrunn@aglmediagroup.com ing 5G technology, are intended to Fire codes require certain minimum
Eastern Region Sales Representative/ create a connectivity economy and radio signal reception requirements to
Advertising Coordinator expand it into more places so con- be met so first responders will have
Karen Clark
303.979.0621 sumers can have the experiences wireless communications virtually
kclark@aglmediagroup.com they desire and to which they already everywhere indoors. If providing ser-
Western Region Sales Representative are accustomed. vice to tenants isn’t reason enough
Deborah Plank
832.484.8465
The conference reflected the dual for building owners to install wire-
dplank@aglmediagroup.com approach to small cells that includes less communications systems, then
Circulation Manager single-carrier cells and neutral-host the liability they may incur if people
circulation@aglmediagroup.com cells. It indicated that although are hurt or lives are lost because first
Corporate Office installers are rapidly deploying single- responders could not adequately com-
AGL Media Group, LLC carrier cells, in the longer term, car- municate might motivate them. At
44715 Prentice Drive #2090
Ashburn, VA 20146-2090 riers may be expected to share small least, that’s the message put forth in
703.594.8500 cells, because so many of them will the conference.
Press Releases and Advertising Materials want the same locations. My thanks to the Congress orga-
press@aglmediagroup.com The conference also reflected the nizer for the hospitality and opportu-
Subscription Information reluctance of wireless carriers to pay nity offered to AGL Magazine.
To subscribe online, go to:
www.aglmediagroup.com/signup
for in-building wireless installations
in mid-sized buildings. Mun said,
Copyright ©2018. AGL Media Group, LLC.
however, that the indoor market has
All rights reserved.
diverse requirements for capacity, Don Bishop, Executive Editor
citing differences between office and dbishop@aglmediagroup.com

aglmediagroup.com
3
XXXXXXX
July 2018 /// Volume 15 /// No. 7

CAMOUFLAGE FEATURES
6 Concealment Best Practices: 24 AGL Tower of the Month —
20/20 Vision after Fort Hancock, Texas
25 Years’ Experience
By Keara Piekanski 34 How Neutral-host Light Poles
Optimize Network Densification
12 Technology Without Intrusion with Small Cells
By Charlie Roper and Robert Renfro By Bob Merola

TOWER TECHNOLOGY
16 Existing Structures Specifications
in TIA-222-H
By Dennis Abel, P.E.

20 Reinventing the Tower Industry

with Composite Towers
By Jordan Oldroyd

26 Antenna Mounts:
Common Questions Regarding
Mount Analysis, Design and the
TIA-5053 Standard
By Michelle Kang, P.E. and
Ismaias Recinos, P.E

32 Ensuring RF System Reliability

with the Right IP Rating for
Heavy Rain Conditions
By Boris Su

ON THE COVER: This rooftop tower conceals wireless communications antennas in Chula Vista, California.
Photo courtesy of Stealth Concealment Solutions. See the article on Page 6.

AGL Magazine (Above Ground Level) is published 12 times a year by Interested in advertising with AGL Media Group’s magazines,
AGL Media Group LLC, and is mailed free to qualified individuals in website, edigest, or sponsoring AGL Local Summits?
the United States of America. Visit www.aglmediagroup.com/advertise for information.

POSTMASTER: Send address change to AGL Media Group Circulation

Department, 44715 Prentice Drive #2090, Ashburn, VA 20146-2090.

agl magazine July 2018

4
DEPARTMENTS
3 Editorial Comment — DAS and
Small Cells
By Don Bishop

40 Buyers Guide — Quick-Guide

to Engineering and Infrastructure
Consultants

43 Product Showcase —
Site Concealment and Camouflage

46 Advertiser Index

46 Professional Directory

aglmediagroup.com
5
 CAMOUFLAGE

Concealment Best Practices:

20/20 Vision after 25 Years’ Experience
A focus on performance, complexity, aesthetics and innovation creates long-
lasting, completely undetectable concealments. Best practices consistently bring
in projects that are on time and under budget.

By Keara Piekanski

Stealth Concealment Solutions has
spent over 25 years designing, engi-
neering and furnishing camouflaging
systems for the wireless indus-
try. In that time, the company
that founded the concealment
industry has learned — some-
times through trial and error
definitely
— that there’s a right way to
save customers time, money
and resources.
Concealment Best Practices
Having completed more than 20,000
concealment projects since the early
1990s and working with every car-
rier in every state nationwide, Stealth
understands the challenges a conceal-
ment project can present. Yet, the
company also knows how to avoid pass this knowledge on to our part-
common obstacles before they derail ners and clients. This includes what
a project. Stealth has assembled some price really means when evaluating a
bid, the best stage to involve
Before embarking on a concealment a concealment partner in a
project, how to standardize
initiative, remember there is
certain aspects of a conceal-
truth to the age-old adage, ment project to optimize
'You get what you pay for.' resources, plus how to plan
now for the future.”
best practices that, when adhered to,
help expedite timelines, reduce man- Price Comparisons
power and maximize budgets across a Today’s savvy customers are look-
myriad of concealment projects. ing well beyond price to determine
“We’ve identified common under- which company should win a particular
lying components that contributed concealment bid, including evaluat-
to our most successful projects,” said ing expertise.
Sean McLernon, the company’s CEO. “We always recommend looking at
“We believe it’s our responsibility to a company’s experience — who’s done

6 agl magazine
 N ET WO R K B U ILD IN G.COM
f
i all stuf
I sweat the
sm
.

BECAUSE SMALL CELLS

MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
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small cells, the big picture and

everything in between.

SITE DEVELOPMENT + ENGINEERING + CONSTRUCTION

Sean Murphy, Program Manager

July 2018 7
 CAMOUFLAGE

100 company, is to consider the finan-

cial strength of potential collaborators,
which will ultimately affect partner-
ship longevity.
“Forming a partnership with
an industry leader who has proven
themselves time and time again is an
important consideration when evalu-
ating concealment bids,” McLernon
said. “Anticipating which companies
are going to be there for the long haul
can impact the long-term success of
a company’s concealment portfolio.”
Before embarking on a concealment
initiative, remember there is definitely
truth to the age-old adage, “You get
what you pay for.” When evaluating
the true cost of ownership for a con-
cealment project, it is good to know
that there is always a more expensive
investment up front, including time,
money and resources. However, with a
strong partner, the final product will
last for a decade or more, if best prac-
tices are incorporated into the plan-
ning and execution stages.

Maximize Efficiencies
Any veteran Stealth employee will
advise customers to involve a conceal-
ment partner as early as possible in a
project plan.
“Over the years, we’ve seen custom-
ers get the most bang for their buck
A 198-foot Stealth tower in Eagan, Minnesota, contains 185 LED light fixtures
with more than 5,400 bulbs that can be programmed to run an infinite number of
when it comes to their concealment
color combinations to liven up the night sky. project if they involve us from the
beginning,” McLernon said.
the type of work needed most often, suburban areas, academic campuses Clients often find it necessary to
demonstrating real-world examples and city parks, to major sports stadium tackle multiple concealment projects
of actual installations in the field,” projects. Not to mention the evolution at one time. Stealth has learned that
McLernon said. “The proof is in the of mobile communications standards understanding the big picture — from
pudding, as they say. And after 25 from 3G to 5G wireless preparations a 360-degree vantage point — is essen-
years, we’ve seen it all, from finding a and everything in between.” tial to get ahead of varying factors that
solution for tricky concealment spaces One piece of advice when looking can affect a project negatively from the
including historic sites, urban and beyond price, especially for a Fortune bottom up. This includes aspects that

8 agl magazine
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 CAMOUFLAGE
A historic Liverpool, New York, roof replacement measures in at 15 feet and iden-
tically matches the previous roofline.
Three identical, 5-foot-tall louver screenwall concealments sit atop this historic,
mid-century modern Santa Monica, California, building.
can place a burden on budget, time-
lines and resources. However, with
early involvement, an expert conceal-
ment company can advise a client on
how to avoid these obstacles.
“Being present during the planning
stages allows us to minimize mate-
rial costs and shorten the window
on approvals and overall timelines,”
McLernon said. “We’ve seen scenar-
ios where engineering resources were
shared and both time and money was
10 agl magazine
saved, but that’s only because we had
insight into the bigger picture early on
in the process.”
Creating Guidelines
Believe it or not, standardization in
the concealment business is a nec-
essary best practice. As Henry Ford,
the innovator of systematic processes,
said, “If you think of standardization
as the best that you know today, but
which is to be improved tomorrow,
you get somewhere.”
Concealment projects should be
approached the same way. There are
techniques to standardize the foun-
dation of many projects, so as not to
continuously reinvent the wheel, but
with enough flexibility to incorporate
client requests and mandatory com-
ponents needed for local government
approval. Then, as regulations evolve,
improvements will follow.
“At Stealth, we are always inves-
tigating how we can standardize an
aspect of a product to use over and
over again, but also add different
nuances to meet unique client needs.
We are looking for the most cost-
effective option coupled with time-
and resource-efficient ways to make
concealment projects work. We’re able
to utilize this type of standardization
plus consider the township or munici-
pality where projects will live to create
a perfect marriage between the two,”
McLernon said.
Maintaining Concealment
When making decisions about a par-
ticular project, think about the long-
term needs, not just what is obligatory
in today’s world. Your company will
benefit over the long term by hiring a
concealment partner to maintain, not
just create, your concealment portfolio.
“Concealment materials are vastly
different than regular building
materials, and you’ll want to get the
maximum life out of every project,”
McLernon said. “Additionally, always
keep in mind the first and foremost
reason for concealment is to let the
signal through. No matter how com-
plex or fancy a concealment project can
get, we always have to focus primarily
on functionality.”
 When planning today for tomor-
row, there are two key guidelines for
achieving long-term success:
● Build concealment projects to spec,
based on proper planning and evalu-
ation of variables.
● Update infrastructure based on
changes in the telecommunica-
tions world that could impede ongo-
ing performance.
Remember that your concealment
partner should be flexible with custom-
ization as wireless standards evolve.
“At Stealth, we’re always thinking
long-term about how to ensure that
as infrastructure changes, our clients’
won’t necessarily have to redo conceal-
ment projects,” McLernon said. “Of
course, updates will be necessary, but
it’s remodeling rather than rebuilding.
These considerations avoid unneces-
sary resource drain.”

Conclusion
When approaching any type of conceal-
ment project — rooftops, small cells,
DAS or others — consider adhering
This 21-foot Baltimore, Maryland, water tower was hand-painted to resemble to best practices beginning with the
woodgrain in order to fit into its urban surroundings.
planning stage. When evaluating bids,
be sure to recognize the importance of
factors beyond price. Once a partner is
Concealment Best Practices identified, involve the company early
on in the project to optimize efficien-
● Customers achieve the best results when they know what cies. Lastly, think about your conceal-
price really means when evaluating a bid. ment portfolio now in anticipation of
● The outcome improves when the customer knows the best future telecommunications require-
stage in a project at which to involve a concealment partner. ments. Savvy wireless professionals are
finding success with this approach. n
● It helps customers when the concealment vendor knows
how to standardize certain aspects of a concealment proj- Keara Piekanski is the owner and mar-
ect to optimize resources.
keting maven at Two Cents Consulting.
● Customers improve concealment project outcomes when Stealth Concealment Solutions designs,
they learn how to plan now for the future with long-term engineers and furnishes camouflaging
needs in mind. systems for the wireless industry. Visit
www.stealthconcealment.com.

July 2018 11
 CAMOUFLAGE

Technology Without Intrusion

Solar Communications International and Steelhead Metal and Fab bring a unique
and lasting partnership to the wireless concealment industry. Their 20-year
collaboration is driven by deep experience in the science of RF-transparent
technology and engineered steel design and fabrication.

By Charlie Roper and Robert Renfro

Whether you seek to deploy macro
cells or a series of small cells, you face
similar challenges, for the most part.
For example, with rooftop installa-
tions, self-supporting clock towers or
pine tree monopoles, the problems you
must overcome share similar
fundamental characteristics.
When you select a design and
fabrication provider that has
shown an ability to satisfy a
broad range of stakeholders,
you improve your potential
to resolve whatever occasional
contrary interests there may
be on the road to a successful
finished product.
If you are working with a site acqui-
sition firm representing a wireless car-
rier or a vertical real estate company,
you need to find common ground with
a jurisdiction about placing antennas
in a collectively agreeable location.
Over the years, the actual number of
players involved in this kind of debate
has grown significantly, especially for
concealed antenna sites.
The typical team that works with
carriers and vertical real estate com-
panies on a concealed roof-top or
tree installation includes the general
contractor, the network of subcon-
tractors, the site acquisition firm, the
engineering firm, the architectural
firm, the building owner, the juris-
diction, the RF-transparent conceal-
ment design and fabrication team,
and the engineered steel design and
fabrication team.
Responding to the need for urban
antenna concealment designs, Solar
Communications International (SCI) and applied to register RFTrans-
Steelhead Metal & Fab combine RF-
transparent technology and engineered
steel components to provide options
and solutions...
It makes sense that the service pro- past 10 years or more is the pine tree
viders would want to offer the best
technologies and coverage in the most
highly populated areas. As a result,
concealment technology in the last
five to 10 years has focused more on
urban areas, which have more people
in a more concentrated area.
The products you need to deploy
have become more sophisticated, and
the work that vendors perform to fab-
ricate these components requires more
specialized talent than ever before.
For example, drafting teams need to
have certain design capabilities to be not at home in urban or high-traffic
able to provide concept drawings to a
potential client.
Responding to the need for urban
antenna concealment designs, Solar
Communications International (SCI)
and Steelhead Metal & Fab combine
RF-transparent technology and
engineered steel components to pro-
vide options and solutions,
whether they stand alone on
anchor bolts or they mount on
a rooftop platform. (SCI has
parent as a trademark for
RF-transparent wireless infra-
structure products.)
One example of a conceal-
ment widely used during the
monopole. For the most part, the pine
tree is well received in markets, for
several good reasons: The pine is a tall
and majestic-looking tree; it maintains
its branches and needles year-round;
and it blends well with other pine trees
in a forest setting.
Nevertheless, the pine tree mono-
pole came with some problems. For
one, pine trees come to a point at the
top. The pointed top reveals anten-
nas and distorts the natural look of
the tree. For another, pine trees are
public areas. Efforts to add matching
leaf-colored socks over the antennas

12 agl magazine
The Monoeuc eucalyptus tree, also called the EUC, hides antennas, remote radio units, radios and ancillary equipment at
the top better than faux pine trees because the EUC has a wider profile at the top, and pines taper to a point. The design
has capacity for multiple carriers.

provided additional, although mar-
ginal, concealment. But this step did
not address the problem of the anten-
nas being in full view or the distortion
to the natural shape of the tree.
On the other hand, if you use a tree
that looks more at home in an urban
area and that has a broad top, you
advance your concealment project in
an appealing way. The eucalyptus is
an example of such a tree.
The Monoeuc eucalyptus tree (SCI
calls it the EUC) offers breakthrough
technology for antenna concealment
designed to blend in with the sur-
roundings in both urban and rural
environments (see the line drawing
and photo above). The eucalyptus fits
well in a professional campus setting
and in suburban and rural settings.
Not only does the EUC hide antennas

July 2018 13
 CAMOUFLAGE

not worked together as a team to meet

their clients’ needs after they saw the
concept design on paper.
The eucalyptus assembles easily
in the field. It takes less than three
hours to erect. The EUC design allows
room for multiple carriers on a single
structure with truly hidden antenna
arrays that blend well into the local
character of the community.

The Water Tank

The standard faux water tank repre-
sents another solution for antenna
concealment structures.
The choices the team made for the
RF-transparent water tank focused on
quick installation, low crane time and
minimal field installation crews. The
Some wireless communications sites use faux water tanks to conceal antenna engineered steel frame sits perfectly as
structures. Characteristics such as quick installation, low crane time and mini-
mal field installation crews make water tanks desirable concealments. Tanks can
a cradle for the RF-transparent water
carry signage relevant to where they are installed. tank. Many water tanks made by SCI
and Steelhead include signage on the
better, but it also covers quite well than at its base, made it easier and outer surface displaying the communi-
remote radio units, radios and ancil- more effective to hide antennas in a ty’s name, such as a university campus,
lary equipment deployed at the top multitude of locations. stadiums and businesses like wineries
of the tree. The design opens a wide The three-trunk eucalyptus designs that require prominence and elegance.
range of new applications for using a represent a change in the structural Meanwhile, the tanks have space for
tree in a metropolitan setting or a rural concept previously used for pines and high-bandwidth transmit and receive
scenic surrounding such as a winery palms. Stacking poles would not work. capabilities and a flexible design that
or a corporate campus. The trunks needed pick points to bal- accommodates equipment change-
The Monoeuc eucalyptus has been ance the limb during installation on outs as antenna hardware evolves.
so well-received by Southern Califor- the site. The structural engineers, Jurisdictions approve structures
nia jurisdictions that carriers and their the SCI in-house design team and the they like if they meet all local engi-
network of site acquisition teams and Steelhead prototyping team solved neering codes. Local communities
general contractors approached SCI the problem of how to properly locate accept concealment structures for
and Steelhead to provide regionally these pick points. sites if aesthetic requirements are
modified versions of color, barking and Together, SCI and Steelhead engi- respected. Many contractors have com-
leaf shapes, such as oaks, broadleaf, neers made prototypes of several mented that the package they receive
elms, cypress and others varietals. models many times over in a shared on-site from SCI and Steelhead makes
These aesthetic options to the original effort to deliver a flexible and uniquely erecting the water tank easy.
design took a popular design in South- intrinsic value for the carriers and the Carriers and vertical real estate
ern California and gave it a national installers. This value of structural companies have deployed more than
footprint. This simple patented design, integrity and ease of installation 200 EUCs and more than 100 RF-
which features a tree wider at the top would not have been possible had they transparent water tanks. It is not

14 agl magazine
unusual to see a EUC triple-trunk
design or an RF-transparent water
tank in high-traffic corporate, recre-
ational or educational settings.
Urban Art and Furniture
In most applications, antenna conceal-
ment is meant to blend in so well that
it is simply not noticed. Some examples
of other applications are a bell tower,
church steeple or a faux elevator shaft.
These structures are usually perfectly
matched to an existing façade or land-
scape by in-house artists.
For other installations, however,
blending in may mean standing out.
In these cases, the installation may
be considered to be urban art or
urban furniture. The aptly named
Twisted Tower not only requires an
RF-transparent face on all sides, but
also it requires engineered steel fram-
ing that which does not interfere with
the RF transparency. The RF-trans-
parent steel structure also needs to
meet local code requirements. It has
to offer long-term operational use. The
Twisted Tower design allows for future
antenna change-outs without requir-
ing additional conditional use permits.
Other structures that fall into the
dual-use category include lighting,
parks, malls, bus stops, train stations,
message boards, clocks and, in some
cases, local artists’ murals.
New Technologies
Carriers and vertical real estate com-
panies have SCI and Steelhead work-
ing on options for new concealment
technologies for low-frequency (4G)
and high-frequency (5G) wireless
communications, along with small
cells. This work requires continued
development, testing and verification
A design called Twisted Tower is transparent to RF on all sides. Its engineered
steel frame does not interfere with the RF transparency.
of standards at frequencies such as
28 GHz and 39 GHz. The materials
involved not only need to meet RF
standards, but also structural and
fire code requirements. To continue
this progress, SCI and Steelhead are
researching technologies such as coat-
ings being used. Their engineering
group meets regularly with carrier and
real estate customers to explore where
their challenges are. Site visits help
the companies to understand what
types of concealment, other than the
popular street lamps, can help place
antennas within the limited distance
required for performance with the
user devices.
The two companies’ teams have
learned how to bring the structural
disciplines found in engineered steel
design to the design and science of RF-
transparent concepts. With so many
factors to be considered in choosing
a design and making it work, con-
cealment projects require a common
language to find consensus among
decision-makers. The sooner they
begin working with the full team, the
better the projects come together.
Steelhead and SCI have been part-
ners and sister companies in the
concealment market from their begin-
nings. Along the way, they learned
the value of that partnership. Their
products reflect a single-source focus
that brings together custom structural
engineering knowledge and creative
concealment design with the science
of RF-transparent polymer structures
that are deployed to provide conceal-
ment for rich wireless access in every
corner of the working and living envi-
ronment without visual intrusion. n
Charlie Roper is president of Steelhead
Metal and Fab. His email address is
charlier@steel headmeta ls.com.
Robert Renfro is CEO of Solar Communi-
cations International. His email address
is robert@rftransparent.com.
July 2018 15
 TOWER TECHNOLOGY
Existing Structures Specifications
in TIA-222-H
Rev. H of the ANSI/TIA standard for telecommunications towers brings a higher
level of clarity and consistency to analysis methods and processes for evaluating
towers for additional loading.
By Dennis Abel, P.E.
My February AGL Magazine article,
“Wind Loading Changes in TIA-
222-H,” reviewed how wind loading
specifications have changed in the
new tower design standard, “ANSI/
TIA-222-H: Structural Standard for
Antenna Supporting Structures and
Antennas and Small Wind Turbine Sup-
port Structures” (Rev. H). Although
many of those changes benefit tele-
communications structures and pro-
vide additional capacity for new or
changed carrier equipment, some
existing structures will be negatively
affected and will require structural
modifications and other retrofits.
The following information exam-
ines the need for different types of
analyses, acceptable stress levels and
other topics addressed in Section 15 of
Rev. H for existing structures.
Changed Conditions
It is important to note that the exis-
tence of a new standard does not
automatically generate a need to
analyze every structure. There are
four types of changed conditions
that can trigger the requirement for a
structural analysis:
● Appurtenances: This includes add-
ing, replacing or removing anten-
nas, mounts or other equipment,
16 agl magazine
but does not include like-for-like
changes, such as replacing a burned-
out feedline.
● Risk Category: This change is pos-
sible if, for instance, a new facility
of certain importance were built
adjacent to the tower.
● Serviceability Requirements:
Changes to other towers that are
connected by microwave links could
change the twist and sway require-
ments of the tower.
● Configuration of Structure: This
includes extending the tower height
or changing structural components.
Except for minor rewording
changes, these are basically the same
conditions presented in ANSI/TIA-
222-G (Rev. G). The most common
situation encountered is when anten-
nas or other equipment is being added
or replaced.
Analysis Types
One difference in the new standard
is the terminology for the types of
analyses that are performed. The Rev.
G term “feasibility structural analy-
sis” changes to “feasibility study” in
Rev. H. This is meant to deemphasize
and better describe the process that
does not fully analyze the structure.
The primary purpose of this type of
analysis is to give the tower owner
or tenant a rough idea of whether a
tower will require structural modifica-
tions for a new loading configuration.
The analysis covers the overall stability
and strength of the main load-carry-
ing members, but not necessarily the
connections, portholes, foundations,
and anchors. It is important to work
closely with the engineer to clearly
understand what is being checked
in a feasibility study. If the study’s
parameters are not fully understood,
unexpected problems may result once
a full analysis is run.
A “rigorous structural analysis” is
now called “comprehensive structural
analysis” in Rev. H. This analysis does
check the connections, foundations
and other components and must be
completed before implementing a
changed condition.
Evaluation of Conditions
The standard continues to allow as
much as a 5 percent increase in the
demand-capacity ratio (the ratio of
required strength to design strength)
of any component without requir-
ing the structure to conform to the
design requirements of the new
standard. However, Rev. H provides
specific language explaining how
this comparison must be performed.
In order to check the percentage
increase, two conditions have to be
analyzed and compared: a baseline
loading analysis and a proposed loading
analysis. The baseline analysis must be
established using either the original
tower design or the most recent engi-
neered structural modification that has
been constructed.
Here is an example of how this
works: A carrier wants to add equip-
ment to an existing antenna array.
The tower was structurally modified
in the past using Rev. G. The draw-
ings of the most recently installed
modification are used to model the
tower and establish the baseline load-
ing. Any loading not considered in the
modification design cannot be used
for the baseline analysis. The
baseline analysis is performed
It is possible for an existing tower
using Rev. H, and then the pro-
posed loading configuration is
to comply with Rev. H even though
applied to the model and also
analyzed using Rev. H. These
analyses can be either feasibil-
ity studies or comprehensive
structural analyses. A comparison is
made of the demand-capacity ratios
between the two analyses. If the ratio
does not increase more than 5 percent
in any component, there is no need to
perform a comprehensive structural
analysis of the changed condition to
ensure it meets the design require-
ments of Rev. H.
It is possible for an existing tower
to comply with Rev. H even though a
comprehensive analysis would show a
demand-capacity ratio of greater than
105 percent.
Suppose in the previous exam-
ple that the carrier installed its
antennas because the increase in
demand-capacity ratio was less than 10 percent greater than the Rev. H
5 percent. Later, if another carrier design requirements. This magnitude
wants to change its loading, it can go matches the 10 percent increase that
through the same process using the the International Existing Building
same baseline loading previously used. Code allows for lateral load carrying
The baseline loading would not con- members. Although some engineers
sider the newly installed equipment in the past have adopted these types
because it was not part of the modifi- of allowances in their analyses, Rev. H
cation used for the baseline loading. now formalizes it specifically for the
However, the proposed loading would tower industry.
include the new equipment of both
carriers. This prevents successive, Assumed Material Standards
minor increases in loading that are Engineers often face the difficulty
actually major changes when consid- of deciding what material strengths
ered cumulatively. to use for towers that have no design
documents available. This can hap-
Modification Factor pen when a tower has been mapped to
The new standard allows the use of determine the configuration, dimen-
an existing structure load modifica- sions and sizes of the components, but
tion factor (Kes), which reduces wind material strengths cannot be deter-
mined without destructive
testing. The existing struc-
tures section references the
new Annex R that contains
a comprehensive analysis would suggested material standards
show a demand-capacity ratio of for a variety of member types,
greater than 105 percent. shapes and ages. Use of this
annex is not mandatory, but
loads and ice thicknesses. A 0.95 fac- it can provide guidance when no other
tor can be applied to wind loads, and information is available.
a 0.85 factor can be applied to design
ice thicknesses. Reductions are only Foundations
available for undamaged, existing, Risk Rev. G explicitly required that site-
Category II structures that pass peri- specific geotechnical and foundation
odic inspections and condition assess- data be used for a rigorous analysis.
ments. These factors are statistically When that data was not available, a
based and have been adopted by this geotechnical investigation and founda-
standard and other structural stan- tion mapping would be required before
dards to account for the probability analyzing the foundation to determine
of exceeding the factored loads used. if the change in appurtenance loading
The factors can be used in conjunc- would be acceptable. Rev. H takes a dif-
tion with the 105 percent maximum ferent approach by allowing reactions
demand-capacity ratio, which effec- shown on foundation design drawings
tively permits a structure governed or design calculations to be compared
by wind loads to be at a stress level to the reactions from the new analysis
July 2018 17
 TOWER TECHNOLOGY

Determining the Need for a

Structural Analysis in TIA-222-H
Consider the Proposed Changed Condition
(e.g., adding a new antenna)

Q: Will proposed changed condition increase demand-capacity ratio more than 5% in TIA-222-H?

A: Uncertain A: Definitely
START HERE START HERE

Go Straight to Comprehensive Structural Analysis

Determine Loading Basis
Use loading from last modification design drawing or original tower
design that represents current structural configuration.

Analyze Structure
Run feasibility studies or comprehensive structural analyses for both
baseline loading and proposed loading per TIA-222-H.

Identify Increase in Demand-Capacity Ratio Implement

If increase in every component is <5%, Changed
If >5%, continue below. Condition

Analyze Structure
Run comprehensive structural analysis for proposed loading per
TIA-222-H.

Identify Demand-Capacity Ratio Implement Demand-Capacity

If demand-capacity ratio is <105%, Changed Ratio
If >105%, continue below. Condition The ratio of the required
strength of a component to
Modify Structure Implement the design strength of the
Design and install structural modifications so that Changed component.
all components have demand-capacity ratios <105%. Condition

Source: FDH Infrastructure Services

18 agl magazine
in lieu of performing a full founda-
tion analysis.
Modification Verification
The verification of modification instal-
lations is mandatory in Rev. H. Inspec-
tions must be performed as directed in
the design drawings. Annex O has been
added to list types of inspections that
may be considered by the engineer,
including material test reports, weld
inspections, foundation and geotech-
nical inspections, concrete and grout
testing, anchor rod testing, member
and connection installation inspec-
tions, and climbing facilities.
Exemptions
Rev. H continues to exempt some
elements of an existing tower from
needing to be upgraded to conform
to the new specifications. In general,
these pertain to materials, manufac-
turing and installation. For example, a
tower designed per a previous revision
of the standard using a steel material
specification that is not included in the
prequalified steel table in Rev. H does
not need to have the nonconforming
steel members replaced.
There are also specific structural
design provisions that are exempted
for towers designed using a previous
revision of the standard. New addi-
tions to the list of exemptions include
sections that deal with pole splices, guy
cable end fittings, foundation design
strength, direct embed foundations,
anchor rods and foundation seismic
considerations. These exemptions are
in place to avoid alterations that do not
provide an improvement significant
enough to outweigh their cost and dif-
ficulty of implementation.
These changes in the existing
structures section of Rev. H bring
a higher level of clarity and con-
sistency to analysis methods and
processes for evaluating towers for
additional loading. n
Dennis Abel, P.E., is director of engi-
neering at FDH Infrastructure Ser-
vices, based in Raleigh, North Carolina.
He is a member of the TIA TR-14
Committee that authors the ANSI/
TIA-222 design standard and contrib-
uted to the development of the new
Rev. H standard. His email address is
dabel@fdh-inc.com.
McGriff Insurance Services
July 2018 19
 TOWER TECHNOLOGY
Reinventing the Tower Industry
with Composite Towers
The use of composite materials provides more strength than steel, eliminates
corrosion and reduces the need for heavy machinery during installation.
By Jordan Oldroyd
Anyone in the tower industry can
appreciate the concept of the IsoTruss
product: An extremely lightweight
structure with a tremendous strength-
to-weight advantage that is made
possible through the geometry of its
structure and the use of composite
materials such as carbon fiber and
fiberglass to create a unique product.
Two young entrepreneurs from
Orem, Utah, founded IsoTruss Indus-
tries. They had a vision to reinvent not
only the tower industry, but also many
other commercial fields with a need
for lightweight, high-strength, non-
corroding structures. David Jensen,
Ph.D., who invented the technology,
shares the founders’ goals of this inno-
vation. The MIT graduate provides
ongoing support in the continuous
development of the product for mul-
tiple business and scientific sectors.
To date, more than 40 patents for its
The composite tower weighs so little, an individual can lift a 20-foot section.
20 agl magazine
design and manufacturing processes
protect the company’s composite prod-
uct, with more pending as the company
implements the product with other
technologies. Jensen said that the
product “eliminates the environmen-
tal issues and maintenance problems
attributed to creosote, rusting steel,
cracking concrete, decaying wood, and
woodpecker- and moisture-induced
damage, while simultaneously reduc-
ing the weight and improving the
visual appeal.”
Jensen began working on the
design more than 15 years ago. Over
the course of development, the struc-
ture has undergone extensive testing
for many of its targeted applications.
One of these tests included two towers
being installed by the U.S. government
at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Shortly
after the towers’ installation, hurri-
canes Frances and Ivan hit the area.
After the storms, a survey of the base
revealed that the composite towers
were two of the only structures left
standing in the affected area.
Shortly afterward, the government
requested the delivery of 1,000 towers.
Unfortunately, Jensen was working
at a university at the time and lacked
the required production capability,
so the order went unfulfilled. Today,
IsoTruss Industries has implemented
automated manufacturing processes
in its U.S.-based facilities that allow
market demands to be met. The com-
pany is aggressively taking the towers
and other products to market.
“We believe that IsoTruss is at the
forefront of an infrastructure move-
ment,” said Nathan Rich, the com-
pany’s CEO. “A change where market
makers are transitioning away from
traditional steel, aluminum, and wood
applications and toward the future
with lightweight, noncorroding, and
environmentally friendly IsoTruss.”
The U.S. government has tested
the tower extensively through sev-
eral Small Business Innovation
Research contracts.
A 200-foot tower on a wind farm
in Spanish Fork, Utah, also has with-
stood the tests of time. The guyed
tower showed itself to be nearly self-
supporting when IsoTruss tested it
with no additional support from the
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July 2018 21
 TOWER TECHNOLOGY
A composite tower installed for use
with telecommunications.
The composite structure achieves its
incredibly high strength-to-weight ratio
with a special geometry.
22 agl magazine
guy wires. As an additional display of
the tower’s capabilities, the foundation
has a small tilt-base supported only by
stakes driven into the soil. The suc-
cess of the tower further proves that
the foundation requirements for the
composite product are greatly reduced
when compared with a steel tower of
equivalent strength.
In most cases, the light weight
of the composite tower reduces the
need for heavy machinery, including
cranes and helicopters for installation.
Furthermore, these composite struc-
tures are 100 percent noncorroding
by nature and require no additional
toxic coatings to achieve this char-
acteristic. They don’t need the type
of maintenance usually required to
mitigate problems stemming from
rust and oxidization of steel and alu-
minum. Even more impressive, the
manufacturing process emits up to
70 percent less carbon dioxide when
compared with steel of comparable
strength. Because steel alone accounts
for 6.7 percent of the world’s carbon
dioxide emissions, using composite
equivalents instead of steel structures
from now on would massively reduce
carbon dioxide emissions.
The composite structure achieves
its incredibly high strength-to-weight
ratio with a special geometry that uses
longitudinally and helically wound
members. The words “Iso” and “Truss”
in the name “IsoTruss” come from its
efficient geometry: The structure’s
isosceles triangles form a truss of pyra-
mids, which gives the structure its
unique strength and stiffness.
The structure incorporates stable
geometric forms with members that
spiral in a piecewise, linear fash-
ion in opposing directions around a
central cavity. The helical and longitu-
dinal members are repeatedly interwo-
ven, yielding a highly redundant and
stable configuration. In fact, testing
has shown that the structure has 40
percent redundancy, meaning this per-
centage of the structure’s nodes could
be compromised before failure. Prob-
lems can be detected long before the
risk of failure, and repairs can be done
to prevent any catastrophic outcomes.
The IsoTruss lattice design resem-
bles traditional aluminum or steel tele-
communications towers. The lattice
design makes the structure superior
to a solid composite tube because it
uses far less material, making it more
cost-efficient while remaining stron-
ger and lighter because of its geometry.
Open lattice structures are ideal for
tower structures because they reduce
wind loads.
Several large tower companies have
shown interest in using the compos-
ite structure exclusively as a replace-
ment for their current tower models.
IsoTruss is in the process of conducting
beta tests with these tower compa-
nies. The tests are being performed
in various geographical areas across
North America to demonstrate the
tower’s performance in all weather
conditions. These towers are outfit-
ted with wind-measuring devices and
have been fixed with payloads that
will demonstrate the towers’ ability
to handle real-world scenarios. This
provides further evidence of the
product’s superiority compared with
similar commercial structures made
of steel and other materials. n
Jordan Oldroyd is vice president of engi-
neering at IsoTruss Industries. Visit
www.isotruss.com.
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24
TOWER
OF THE
MONTH

agl magazine
JULY 2018
Site Name: I-10/Fort Hancock
Owner: CCATT
Site Manager: Crown Castle
International
Users: Cellular, AT&T Mobility, Micro-
wave, New Cingular Wireless PCS
Height: 245 feet
Year Constructed: 2005
Tower Type: Self-supporting Lattice
Location: Fort Hancock, Texas

Photography by Don Bishop

July 2018
aglmediagroup.com
25
 TOWER TECHNOLOGY
YES, Antenna Mounts: Common Questions
Regarding Mount Analysis, Design
and the TIA-5053 Standard
is Important With heavier equipment loads being placed on towers,
the standardization of mount design and analysis helps to
ensure that antenna mounts are ready to cope with any
Use Promo Code and all loading challenges.
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for 5% Off By Michelle Kang, P.E. and Ismaias Recinos, P.E.
As existing antenna mounts age in the
field and become overstressed because
of changes in loading demand, the
industry has increasingly recognized
the need for consistency and transpar-
ency in the way antenna mounts are
designed and analyzed. As a result, the
Telecommunications Industry Asso-
ciation (TIA) has released both new
and revised standards within the past
year. The rationale for the changes
incorporated in these standards can be
difficult to decipher, and their implica-
tions for standard business practices
going forward are worth examining.
The following information will address
common questions regarding these
standards — particularly TIA-5053
— and other general mount engineer-
ing practices.
Q: What is the TIA-5053 standard
and why was it created?
A: TIA-5053 is a standard created to
address multiple issues regarding the
design of antenna mounts and their
use in the field.
Issue 1: Design differences among
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26
Historically, antenna mount design
criteria and methodology have varied
widely among manufacturers, making
comparisons difficult. For example,
it might appear that Manufacturer
A’s antenna mount, designed for four
96-inch antennas at 90 mph wind
speeds, has greater capacity than
Manufacturer B’s mount designed
for four smaller 60-inch antennas at
120 mph wind speeds. However, the
second mount may actually have more
capacity because of the higher wind
speed it was designed for, in addition
to other unknown design criteria,
including antenna centerlines and
exposure. Because of the number of
criteria involved in mount design, it
has been nearly impossible up to this
point to compare mounts from two
manufacturers for actual capacity
without additional information, or a
separate independent mount analysis
of each mount. The TIA-5053 stan-
dard addresses these inconsistencies
between manufacturers by specifying
a complete list of criteria for the design
of antenna mounts. They include:
● Modeling guidelines
● Loading conditions
Engineering analysis of tower mounts ensures adequate load bearing for the
mount itself and for the tower that holds it. Also, inadequate or improperly used
antenna mounts can pose risks for workers who install them and who later per-
form maintenance.
● Load factors
● Equipment placement
● Maintenance loads
● Load combinations
Thus, the TIA-5053 standard
enables customers to make apples-to-
apples comparisons between mounts
made by different manufacturers.
Issue 2: Idealized designs vs. real-
world installation practices.
When mounts are installed in
the field, loading configurations
frequently diverge from the loading
intended by the mount’s design. For
example, today’s mounts are rarely
installed in the field with loading
that is both vertically and horizon-
tally symmetrical on the mount, as
intended for optimal capacity accord-
ing to the mount design. Mounts
designed and classified to the TIA-
5053 standard will take into account
loading symmetry tolerances in the
reported capacity that will reflect real-
world installation variances. However,
if the loading is installed outside of
the allowed symmetry tolerances, the
classification becomes invalid.
Issue 3: Limited or obscure rating docu-
mentation on mounts.
Mount analyses have become
more prevalent in the past several
years because of concerns that exist-
ing mounts are being loaded beyond
their design capacity. To engineers,
the widespread presence of over-
stressed mounts in the field comes
as no surprise. Mounts commonly
have issues that prevent them from
achieving their theoretical capacity.
General condition issues include rust, CUBE™ MP Series Cabinets
corrosion and missing bolts. Instal- CUBE Multi-Purpose Cabinets house and
lation issues include incorrect orien- protect a wide variety of remotely deployed
tation of main mount members and equipment in a compact footprint
improper installation of the mount-
to-tower connection. And in practice,
loading is rarely installed symmetri-
cally, which further deviates from the
design intent. Final loading configura-
CFTT Fiber Transition Terminals
tions frequently consist of weight and Ideal for low density ber circuits, CFTT serve as
wind areas that the mounts were not a customer demarcation point for ber entering
designed to handle, even in the most the customer premises. 4 or 8 port models.
optimal installation conditions.
Many customers receiving mount
analysis deliverables express shock
and disbelief at the prevalence of
27
 TOWER TECHNOLOGY
Figure 1. It isn’t necessary to precisely match the design loading configuration for a mount classification to be valid, as long
as the design-factored forces are not exceeded at any loading position. Source: TIA-5053
overstressed mounts. Carriers have
only begun to realize the can of worms
that has been opened, as the expense
of correcting previously undiscovered
issues rises exponentially. Although
the purchase of mounts designed and
classified per the TIA-5053 standard
will not have an immediate financial
effect, it will provide many long-term
benefits to those footing the bill. Not
only will it provide transparency into
what is installed in the field, enabling
increased accuracy in budget planning
for future equipment deployment, but
also it may lessen the need for mount
analysis and modification design for
multiple future deployments.
Q: Are manufacturers required
to design and classify mounts
to TIA-5053?
A: No. TIA-5053 is a voluntary stan-
dard. However, if a manufacturer
reports that a mount is classified in
28 agl magazine
accordance with this standard, then
the entirety of the standard must be
incorporated into the mount design.
TIA-5053 was written to apply
broadly in the industry. Special cases
may fall outside of this standard, but
it is geared to include 85 percent of
all mounts.
Q: Does TIA-5053 only apply to
new mounts?
A: No. TIA-5053 also can be used to
classify existing mounts. However,
it may not be cost-effective to do so
because additional engineering time
will be required to determine the
mount classification. In addition,
because of symmetry requirements
and other site-specific criteria listed in
the standard, ensuring that an exist-
ing mount conforms to the standard
may require relocating existing loading
in order to fall within the allowable
symmetrical tolerances. If an existing
mount cannot be classified in accor-
dance with TIA-5053, it should be
analyzed in accordance with TIA-222.
Q: Do I have to precisely match the
design loading configuration in order
for a mount classification to be valid?
A: No. For example, if a mount is
classified for four antenna positions,
as long as the symmetry requirements
are met, as many as four antennas
of varying sizes and weights may be
installed in the four positions, as long
as the design-factored forces are not
exceeded at any loading position (see
Figure 1).
Q: How can a mount in the field be
identified as a classified mount?
A: Refer to Figure 2. Mounts are clas-
sified into categories based on their
intended use. Each mount classified
in accordance with the TIA-5053
 Used at the beginning of
each mount identification.
The maximum factored
horizontal force, F, con-
sidered for design under
extreme wind condi-
tion at each mounting
pipe location.
M 1000 R (1550) -4 [6]
Classification The maximum factored vertical
category. force, Fzi, considered for design
under extreme ice condition at
each mounting pipe location.
The centerline of the maxi-
mum horizontal concentrated
force, F, may be offset verti-
cally from the mount center-
line by up to 6 inches.
The mount is designed for
four mounting pipe locations.*

*If the mount were intended to be assembled as an integral structural system in a triangular configuration, the mount would be designed
for three mounting pipe locations per sector for a total of nine mounting pipe locations for the mounting system.

Figure 2. Mount classification identification. Example mount M1000R(1550)–4[6]

standard will have a designated code
comprised of letters and numbers to
identify its category, maximum hori-
zontal design force per mount pipe
location, maximum vertical design
force per mount pipe location and
allowed vertical offset. In addition, the
TIA-5053 standard requires submis-
sion of specific documentation with
classified mounts. This documen-
tation will provide clarification on
design intent and proper assembly of
all components.
Q: How will TIA-5053 help the vari-
ous stakeholders in the industry?
A: It will assist these categories of
stakeholders in the following ways:
Engineers: Prior to the use of
the TIA-5053 standard, it was nearly
impossible for an engineer to be able
to compare in-field conditions of an
existing mount to the original design
intent because of minimal information
provided from the manufacturer
regarding the entire list of criteria
incorporated in the mount design.
Documentation provided with mounts
classified in accordance with the TIA-
5053 standard will provide transpar-
ency to engineers regarding design
criteria and will enable them to eas-
ily compare installed loading versus
maximum design loading.
Mount manufacturers: TIA-
5053 provides an industry standard
for mount design and promotes the
installation and the use of mounts in a
manner that is in line with the design
intent. In addition, it helps them more
easily respond to questions regarding
the capacity of their mounts. Finally,
it allows them to easily demonstrate
how their products compare with those
of other manufacturers.
Contractors and installers: TIA-
5053 simplifies the purchasing process
by making it possible to easily compare
products of different manufacturers.
Documentation requirements will
promote installation in accordance
with the manufacturer intent (e.g.,
allowable tie-back angles).
Carriers (owners): Currently,
a majority, if not all, tower owners
maintain that the mount is completely
owned by the carrier. With the enforce-
ment of the TIA-222-H standard,
mount analyses will be a required
step in the structural analysis process.
Through the purchase of mounts clas-
sified in conformance with TIA-5053,
carriers will be able to mitigate many
of the costs associated with mount
analysis, reanalysis and modification
design, along with reducing the risk
of failures in the field resulting from
inadequate and incorrect installation.
Q: Is it better to modify or replace a
failing mount?
A: From the perspective of an engi-
neer, the best course of action will

July 2018 29
 TOWER TECHNOLOGY
Existing Loading per Sector
Final Loading per Sector
Percent Increase
Table 1. Although a small equipment change or addition may have a minimal effect on a tower’s capacity stress ratio, it is
likely to have a much higher proportionate effect on an antenna mount.
depend on the degree of modification
required and on the feasibility and cost
comparison of modification versus
replacement. This can also be driven
by the local carrier market based on
their current budgets and forecasts for
future technology installs. It’s prudent
for decision-makers to keep in mind
that extensive modifications to mounts
usually result in a noticeable capacity
stress ratio increase to the tower. For
example, one complex mount modifi-
cation performed by the SSOE Group
resulted in a 60 percent increase in
both the front and side areas of the
mount following modification, likely
leading to a significant increase in the
tower capacity stress ratio.
Q: How can the results of mount
analyses performed by two engineer-
ing vendors be so different?
A: There is no widely accepted indus-
try standard for the way an engineer
performs a mount analysis. Mount
analysis deliverables vary, from a direct
load comparison only to a rigorous
analysis using finite element analy-
sis software. Current standard design
codes do not specify guidelines for
the nuances involved in mount analy-
ses. To help engineers perform mount
analysis to the same standards and to
30 agl magazine
Dead Load (lbs) Front EPA (ft2)
161.4 19.25
214.4 21.99
32.8% 11.5%
drive consistency between engineer-
ing vendors, the TIA is developing a
white paper on best practices for mount
analysis, with the participation of over
20 engineering firms and mount man-
ufacturers across the industry.
Q: Why am I getting such a high
mount capacity stress ratio from just
from one radio addition?
A: It is often assumed that the struc-
tural adequacy of a mount is similar
to that of a tower, in that all existing
structures are adequate under existing
loading conditions and that changes
in mount capacity stress ratio should
reflect loading additions similar to the
way these changes affect tower capac-
ity stress ratio. That is, a small equip-
ment change or addition will have a
minimal effect on the structure capac-
ity stress ratio. However, there are a
couple of reasons why mounts cannot
be compared to towers in this way.
If there is no mount analysis on
record, it is likely the mount has
not been analyzed before and many
mounts are overstressed under as-is
conditions for reasons discussed in
“How to Analyze Antenna Mounts
to Avoid Costly Consequences” (AGL
Magazine, December 2015). There-
fore, it is possible that the mount
Side EPA (ft2)
14.46
16.13
14.2%
will be overstressed even if loading
is removed.
In addition, swapping an older tech-
nology antenna for a new one is not
equivalent because of the significant
increase in size and weight of new
equipment when compared to overall
loading on the mount. The mount is
also a much smaller structure rela-
tive to the equipment it holds than
the tower, so loading changes will
have a larger impact on its capacity
stress ratio. For one mount analysis
on what would be considered a typi-
cal loading scenario, the addition of
one antenna and one radio per sec-
tor caused the equipment weight to
increase by 59 percent, and the front
and side wind areas to increase by
40 percent and 46 percent, respec-
tively. For another mount analysis,
the addition of one radio per sector
caused increases in area and weight
per sector (see Table 1).
Q: It doesn’t look as though the pro-
posed mount is any sturdier than what
is currently installed. Why do you rec-
ommend this mount be used?
A: There are many different aspects
of a mount that determine its over-
all performance and capacity, many
of which cannot be easily pinpointed
through visual observation alone.
The article “Mount Analysis Case
Study: Why Small Modeling Changes
Make a Big Difference” (AGL Maga-
zine, November 2016) demonstrates
how many seemingly small changes in
mount or loading configuration result
in large capacity stress ratio changes.
In addition, manufacturers are now
designing their mounts to support
heavier loading conditions than they
were five to 10 years ago.
Q: What changed in TIA-222-H regard-
ing mount analysis requirements?
A: TIA-222-H took prior requirements
for mount analysis and expanded
upon them, explicitly stating them

in a separate chapter in the standard.
Q: When will TIA-222-H be enforced?
A: The TIA-222-H Standard was
published in October 2017 and will be
recognized and referenced by the 2018
“International Building Code” (IBC).
As jurisdictions adopt the 2018 IBC,
mount analyses will need to comply
with TIA-222-H in order to meet with
jurisdictional requirements.
Conclusion
All stakeholders in the mount analysis
industry will benefit from these recently
published standards, which promote
consistency and a leveling of the playing
field across all aspects of the industry.
www.LarsonCamo.com
“You Dream It, We’ll Build It!”
With 5G and possibly even larger associ-
ated equipment loads on the horizon,
the standardization of mount design
and analysis through these standards
will ensure that the antenna mount
industry is ready to address any and
all loading challenges. n
Michelle Kang, P.E., and Ismaias Reci-
nos, P.E., are structural engineers at
SSOE Group (www.ssoe.com), a global
engineering, procurement and con-
struction management firm. Each has
experience working on towers, mounts,
rooftop sites and other specialty struc-
tures for various clients throughout the
United States. Kang’s email address is
mkang@ssoe.com, and Recinos’ email
address is irecinos@ssoe.com.
July 2018 31
 TOWER TECHNOLOGY
Ensuring RF System Reliability with the Right IP Rating
for Heavy Rain Conditions
Vents and adhesives for external equipment enclosures might fail in weather
extreme enough to produce water jets unless they are rated for the highest
resistance to water immersion, ratings IPX5 or IPX6.
By Boris Su
Fingu, a manufacturer known for
its radio-frequency (RF) devices for
mobile telecom systems, was design-
ing and supplying RF subsystems for
a global telecom player. These sub-
systems were mounted on the tops of
telecom towers, in open environments
at multiple locations throughout the
world. One location, which was subject
to typhoons, also experienced unusu-
ally fierce rainstorms during the first
year the RF subsystem was installed.
These unusually heavy rains, driven
by high-force winds, caused water to
enter the housing of some of the com-
biner units, compromising their integ-
rity and performance.
Challenge
The RF subsystem’s housing, which
was rated IPX7 for ingress protection,
was designed for water immersion. The
Fingu engineering team was also aware
of the need to protect this externally
mounted unit from water jets. Yet,
water had penetrated the housing. Sev-
eral failed combiners, returned from
the field, were completely filled with
water. In all the failed units, water
had penetrated the vent membrane
and adhesive. Obviously, the specified
vent was not robust enough to resist
the jet pressure created by the storms
32 agl magazine
Rain driven by high wind can force water
into equipment housings on antenna
towers when vent membranes or adhe-
sive are not robust enough to resist the
jet pressure created by storms.
that lashed these towertop devices.
But why not? Why was there water
ingress, when the housing passed the
IPX7 water immersion test?
Fingu contacted W. L. Gore & Asso-
ciates to quickly identify the cause of
failure. The challenge was to identify
a venting solution that could reliably
prevent these water ingress problems
in the future, effectively equalize pres-
sures to reduce strain on housing seals,
allow immediate repair of the failed
units without delay, and be incorpo-
rated into the existing units without
any modifications.
Solution
Working with the Fingu engineering
team, Gore’s application engineers
performed a detailed failure analy-
sis, beginning with the initial vent-
ing specification. Although IPX7/
IPX8 ratings define resistance to
water immersion, they do not confer
protection against water jets. The IEC
60529 standard recognizes that these
are two entirely different categories
of waterproofing.
For towertop telecom equipment
mounted in an open environment
with high winds and heavy rains,
the most relevant ingress protec-
tion rating would be IPX5 or IPX6.
These ratings would confer protec-
tion against the dynamic water
pressures created by the high-force
winds and rain in the towers’ environ-
ment. Therefore, Gore recommended
changing the units’ waterproof-
ing standard from IPX7 (immer-
sion protection) to IPX6 (the most

Following unusually fierce rainstorms
and exposure to typhoons, this exter-
nally mounted combiner was returned
from the field full of water.
robust level of water jet protection).
To satisfy this IPX6 standard, the
Gore engineers recommended a highly
robust adhesive vent: Gore protective
vents’ adhesive series VE7 (part num-
ber VE71221). This vent is widely used
in IPX6 telecom equipment and devices,
where it has proven to be reliable in
equalizing pressures and preventing
water ingress. IP ratings depend on
the product housing’s design.
Series VE7 has a crush-resistant
ePTFE Gore membrane that readily
withstands high-pressure jets, because
it is much thicker than traditional
PET adhesive vents that are com-
monly available. Series VE7 also has
an extremely strong silicone adhesive
that bonds well to housings, even those
with challenging surface roughness.
With its robust membrane and
adhesive, VE7 provides stronger pro-
tection against water jets, to better
withstand towertop conditions in
stormy environments.
Using Fingu-provided combiner
units, Gore installed VE7 vents and
performed validation testing. After
multiple rounds of IPX6 water-jet test-
ing in the Gore laboratory, no water
intrusion was observed.
As a result of this cooperative tech-
nical partnership, the Fingu engineer-
ing team adopted series VE7 vents as
the solution. Series VE7 was retrofitted
into all combiners returned from the
field and was also installed into every
new unit that was being produced.
“Our telecom customer was very
pleased with how quickly we resolved
this issue, and they are now very satis-
fied with the way these tower-mounted
combiners are performing,” Liu Ming
Multiple IPX6 immersion protection tests
using Gore series VE7 vents revealed no
water intrusion in the combiners.
Xing, mechanical design manager at
Fingu, said. “In the 18 months since
we began using the VE7 vents, there
have been no more reports of water
intrusion, not in the combiners that
were retrofitted, nor in any of the new
units that have been installed since
then. We look forward to continuing
our very productive relationship with
our telecom customer, and with Gore,
in the future.” n
Boris Su is the global leader of the tele-
communication and connectivity venting
business in the Performance Solutions
Division of W. L. Gore & Associates.
The company manufactures the protec-
tive vents described in the article. Visit
www.gore.com.

Disguised
Our Concealment Solutions Bring
Together Performance and Design.
In an ever-expanding wireless world, Engineered Endeavors provides
structure concealment solutions that keep environments looking
natural. Our custom poles, panels and towers combine performance
and function with discrete design elements so they blend with, and
even beautify, their surroundings. Our ability to create solutions based
on unique requirements puts us at the forefront of disguised structure
engineering.

© 2018 Engineered Endeavors www.engend.com sales@engend.com

July 2018
440-970-5004
33
Small Cells

How Neutral-host Light Pole Nodes Optimize

Network Densification with Small Cells
Small cells exist not only to enable future 5G networks, but also to enable
and enhance 4G networks that have recently been overwhelmed by ever-
increasing traffic. Light pole nodes that multiple carriers can share hold
promise for meeting the demand.

By Bob Merola

Small cell deployments increase Wi-Fi
and cellular wireless communications
capacity and signal strength by placing
a large number of limited-range radio
access points, also called nodes, within
densely populated areas. A light pole
node, model LPN-16, also referred to as
an outdoor small cell, is a high-density,
neutral-host small cell infrastructure
layer from Wytec International that
allows small cells to serve multiple
wireless carriers simultaneously.
In comparison with small cell cover-
age, a traditional large cellular tower
could cover a larger area to a distance
of approximately 2 miles, but with
less capacity.
Next-generation networks and ser-
vices address the diverse challenges
and problems (cost, speed, and latency)
in delivering broadband data to the
small business, enterprise, residential
and municipal markets.
Behind the Small Cell Boom
Many small cell manufacturers and
analysts say small cells will enhance
5G, a telecommunications standard
not fully defined yet, but that holds
great promise. Futurists and wireless

The Small Cell Forum estimates that 11 million small cells will be installed by 2025, more than twice as many as were in place
during 2017. Source: Small Cell Forum Release 10.0

agl magazine July 2018

34
 Providing
Support
by Standing Together

“The Colorado Wireless Association is

dedicated to promoting, supporting, and
educating our wireless industry members.
We feel that the Tower Family Foundation’s
mission of taking care of wireless workers
injured or deceased is the most basic and
important way we can look out for the best
interests of those who work in the same
wireless industry we support. It’s therefore
our honor to be able to donate to, and work
with, the Tower Family Foundation.”
“I was surprised, shocked in fact, to be contacted by the
Dan McVaugh, President
Tower Family Foundation while I was lying in a hospital bed
Colorado Wireless Association,
following surgery to repair a shattered pelvis. A few days
Parker, Colorado
earlier I had fallen 30’ from a tower to an adjacent rooftop.
The Foundation’s generous financial assistance made a world
of difference during my recovery. The funds they provided
covered my insurance deductible, the cost of some needed
medical equipment and helped to pay our household bills
for several weeks.
I will be forever grateful to the Tower Family Foundation, and
to all those who give of their hard-earned income to support
the Foundation’s work. They have blessed our lives.”
Randy Smith
Randy’s Tower Service,
Rolla, Kansas
www.towerfamilyfoundation.org
aglmediagroup.com
35
help@towerfamilyfoundation.org
Small Cells
communications carriers predict that
tremendous bandwidth and nearly
ubiquitous small cell deployment
will one day provide the capacity for
almost universal 4K video streaming,
augmented reality and virtual reality
video and television, and autonomous
cars everywhere.
Bandwidth Demand
That is all likely to come true. Small
cells exist not only to enable future
5G networks, but also to enable and
enhance 4G networks that have
recently been overwhelmed by ever-
increasing traffic. Because of the mas-
sive subscriber uptake of 4G mobile
services over the past few years,
carriers have been unable to keep
up with the additional bandwidth
demand required from their existing
4G networks.
Increase in Deployment
In any case, small cells have caught on
like fire. At the end of 2017, fewer than
5 million small cells were installed in
the United States. The Release 10.0
“Small Cells Market Status Report,”
published in February by the Small
Cell Forum, estimates that number
will more than double by 2025 with
agl magazine
36
The model LPN-16 light pole node and
FlexSpeed primary line service from
Wytec International help businesses,
cities and wireless carriers take advan-
tage of converged fiber, wireless,
cable, small cell radios and numerous
other technologies to deliver highly
efficient transport of data communi-
cations and increased performance
for emerging technologies in the race
toward smart cities and the impending
internet of things.
11 million small cells installed (see
the figure on Page 34). Another Forum
report, which surveyed more than 50
Tier 1 and Tier 2 mobile and converged
network operators, predicts a 50 per-
cent increase in small cells between
2018 and 2020 alone.
rohntower.com
Small cells can be installed indoors
or outdoors and are compact enough
to be attached to street lights, electric
poles and traffic light poles. They can
even be mobile, perched atop buses, or
carried in the sky by drones. By 2019,
global demand for outdoor small cell
solutions alone is expected to grow by
a factor of six, according to Deloitte’s
“Flashpoint Edition 13,” which is a
series about small cells.
The term “network densification”
has been used to describe the pro-
cess of growing the number of addi-
tional transmission sites or nodes in
an area with both increased band-
width and wider coverage to man-
age the current subscriber demand.
Small cells have been the key com-
ponent in densification, providing
the necessary additions to existing
4G networks as a solution to the
public’s growing bandwidth needs.
Unique LPN-16 Advantages
Wytec developed its light pole node
to be a new, cost-effective and eas-
ily upgradeable system for providing
high transmission speeds through a
neutral host and shared infrastruc-
ture solution.
Recognized by the U.S. Patent and
July 2018
 9-10 October, Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg

Meetup Africa 2018

The 6th annual retreat for 300 leaders of the African telecom tower industry

For the past 6 years, TowerXchange has been assembling the who’s who of the African tower industry
for two days of keynote panels, roundtable discussions, working groups and private meetings

Profile of attendees MNOs

18% 17% 11% 11% 8%
Towercos
Managed service providers & tower builders
Analysts, investors, advisors and strategic consultants
29% 2%
Platforms for site monitoring, intelligence and control
Energy equipment and ESCOs
Other

Don’t miss:
< MNO and towerco keynotes: How is the African tower industry evolving
< Buyer briefings: Procurement needs of the region’s tower owners and operators
< Energy focus group: Innovations improving cell site uptime
< ESCO spotlight: How the model is gaining traction across the continent
< Expanded infrastructure focus: how fibre, satellite, small cells and DAS are converging
with towers and the towerco sector
< Operational excellence day: Optimising capex and opex in African towers

The past five events have SOLD OUT so make sure you register today to guarantee
your place. Visit www.towerxchange.com/meetup/meetup-africa/ for more
information and book your ticket. Quote: TXAF18AGL

Gold sponsor: Silver sponsors:

Bronze sponsors:

Organised by:

aglmediagroup.com
37
Small Cells
Trademark Office with patent num-
ber 9,807,032, model LPN-16 is an
“upgradeable, high data transfer speed,
multichannel transmission system.”
The local area network system
includes modular, multifre-
quency, multichannel, upgrad-
able transmission nodes. It
provides transmission and net-
work services for as many as 16
carriers for wireless data, video
between 100 and 350 small cells
and voice; voice over Internet
Protocol; local portal for emer-
gency services; mesh node from
one transmission to the next;
single and multichannel trans-
mission; WiFi access; and several other
similar services. And, unlike most 4G
small cells, the light pole node is not
Tower Engineering
& Analysis
Licensed Nationally
Tower Planning and Design
Tower Inspection and Mapping
Rigorous and Feasibility Analysis
Rigging Plan Review
Dave Davies
Gray Hodge
(812) 422-2558
HodgeStructural.com
agl magazine
38
dependent on any radio frequency.
This range of services, the increas- tion of networks using both licensed
ing demand on 4G networks and the
imminence of 5G networks needing
The Small Cell Forum research
also found that, by 2020,
40 percent of the operators
surveyed expect to deploy
per square kilometer (indoors
and outdoors) in the areas
they densify.
small cell capabilities squarely place
Wytec in the path of several mas-
sive industries and markets. These
markets include small cells as a ser-
vice, outdoor Wi-Fi, the internet of
things (IoT) and a host of other related 5G subscriber forecasts. Because of
communications services.
High Speeds in Trials
The light pole node’s speeds are dif-
ficult to beat. When the company
received the first prototype, it obtained 50 percent rise from its October 2017
permission to place the unit on a utility forecast. The firm expects the number
light pole in downtown San Antonio,
Texas, for testing. The test included
the use of three frequencies, one of
which was millimeter wave. The equip-
ment used for the speed test included a
5-GHz radio in both the light pole node
and a Samsung smartphone.
In multiple trials, the equipment
configuration produced download and
upload speeds at 388.5 Mbps, with
a latency of 3 milliseconds. By com-
parison, a popular cellular network
produced 35.73 Mbps with a latency
of 61 milliseconds.
Small cells are booming now
because achieving advances in capacity
and network speed require densifica-
and unlicensed radio-frequency
spectrum to patch coverage holes,
optimize signal strength and
increase capacity for meeting
consumer demand.
Densification is bound to con-
tinue and uptick dramatically.
The Small Cell Forum research
also found that, by 2020, 40 per-
cent of the operators surveyed
expect to deploy between 100 and
350 small cells per square kilome-
ter (indoors and outdoors) in the
areas they densify.
Much of that deployment is just
about keeping up with 4G demand,
but 5G is coming up quickly. Analytical
firm CCS Insight announced in April
that it is significantly increasing its
the growing number of carriers glob-
ally that have committed to launching
5G as early as this year, the firm said
it now expects almost 60 million 5G
connections worldwide in 2020 — a
of 5G connections to pass 1 billion
sometime in 2023.
Dramatic Effects
Today, small cells are enabling the rap-
idly growing number of IoT devices.
They are a catalyst for a remarkable
future, one that will have dramatic
effects on fields as diverse as public
safety, homeland and energy security,
education, medicine, and smart cities
and buildings. n
Bob Merola is chief technology offi-
cer at Wytec International, Inc. Visit
www.wytecintl.com.
July 2018
 0 %
1 count
Dis xhib
i
for e ured by
t s pace

sec 2018!
1,
July
aglmediagroup.com
39
Buyers Guide

Q U I C K- G U I D E T O
Engineering and Infrastructure Consultants
As a supplement to AGL Magazine’s January Buyers Guide, a list of
engineering and infrastructure consultants offers more detail to
help you choose a vendor for your next project.

4G Unwired development and build-to-suit ser- CLS Group

1751 Samo Road, Suite 1 vices to the Wireless , iDAS, oDAS, 609 S. Kelly Ave., Suite D
Melbourne, FL 32935 Small Cell, Wireline and Fiber indus- Edmond, OK 73003
Scott Robinson try sectors. Services include: Project Landon Willets
321.726.4183 Management, Site Evaluations/ 405.348.5460
scott.robinson@4gunwired.com Infrastructue Audits, Drone Inspec- lwillets@clsgroup.com
www.4gunwired.com tions, Site Acquisition/Land Plan- www.clsgroup.com
SERVICES: system design, propagation studies ning, Engineering Design/Structural SERVICES: site design, architectural, struc-
Analysis, Regulatory, Permitting, tural, consulting
Make-Ready, Construction Manage-
Aarcher ment, Construction, Installation,
2635 Riva Road, Suite 100
Warehousing/Logistics. —adv.
Annapolis, MD 21401
Craig Schwartz
410.897.9100
cschwartz@aarcherinc.com Ehresmann Engineering
www.archerinc.com 4400 W. 31st St.
SERVICES: environmental, consulting Yankton, SD 57078
Jerry Gustad
Cavell, Mertz & Associates 605.665.7532
7724 Donegan Drive info@ehresmannengineering.com
Manassas, VA 20109 www.ehresmannengineering.com
SERVICES: structural
Garrison Cavell
AW Solutions 703.392.9090
300 Crown Oak Centre Drive info@cavellmertz.com Ehresmann Engineering, Inc. was
Longwood, FL 32750 www.cavellmertz.com founded in 1983 as a structural
James Partridge engineering firm to analyze existing
407.260.0231 ext. 101 structures and design new towers. In
Cavell, Mertz & Associates is a pro-
james.partridge@awsolutions.com 1992 Ehresmann Engineering started
fessional engineering firm in the
www.awsolutions.com manufacturing new structures and
broadcast and communications
SERVICE: system design, power and backup now offers tower components, plat-
industries. We specialize in radio and
systems, site design, environmental, archi- forms, monopoles, guyed and self-
television coverage enhancement,
tectural, structural, consulting supporting towers in addition to
interference prediction, drone RF
certified mapping, installation, and
measurements, microwave system
drone flight crews. —adv.
AW Solutions is licensed through- analysis, as well as database man-
out the US, Canada and Caribbean agement. For more information visit
providing turnkey site infrastructure our website at Cavellmertz.com or
FCCInfo.com. —adv.

agl magazine July 2018

40
 Lawrence Behr Associates
3400 Tupper Drive
Greenville, NC 27834
Carolyn Linton
252.757.0279 NB+C
FHD Infrastructure Services carolyn.linton@lbagroup.com 6095 Marshalee Drive, Suite 300
6621 Meridien Drive www.lbagroup.com Elkridge, MD 21075
Raleigh, NC 27616 SERVICE: EMC, interference mitigation, RF Meghan Mulvany
David Allen, P.E. compliance, AM detuning and collocation 616.218.9444
561.249.4994 mmulvany@nbcllc.com
sales@fdh-is.com www.networkbuilding.com
www.fdh-is.com Midwest Engineering & SERVICES: electrical, power and backup sys-
SERVICES: site design, environmental, struc- Manufacturing tems, site design, architectural, structural,
tural, consulting, geotechnical engineering 3206 W. 11th St. consulting
Yankton, SD 57078-6319
FDH provides engineering and con- Bill Wysuph Founded in 1984, NB+C is a lead-
struction services to the wireless 605.661.8892 ing wireless site development firm
infrastructure and broadcast tower midwesteng@midco.net comprised of three divisions: Site
markets. Drawing on decades of www.towermath.com Development, Engineering Ser-
experience with telecommunica- SERVICES: structural, consulting vices and Construction + Technical
tions structures in every conceiv- Services. We are staffed with over
able terrain, FDH is a partner of 400 professionals who are totally
choice to carriers and tower owners committed to client service and
who seek turnkey services and the project results. —adv.
expertise to keep their systems
See ad on Page 7.
running 24/7. —adv.
PJF 2018 SC ad Final.pdf 1 6/6/2018 12:09:49 PM

Did you know Paul J. Ford and Company has

extensive experience in the design and
analysis of concealed and camouflaged
sites? Yes - from trees to flagpoles, steeples
to faux water towers - we’ve done it.

Our professional staff, backed by over 50

years of engineering experience, is ready to
assist you with your concealment structure
project needs.

With P.E. Licenses throughout North

America, PJF provides cost-effective and
efficient solutions. We offer engineering
services including FEA Analysis and Design
Optimization.

For more information, please contact us at PJFTelecom@PaulJFord.com

aglmediagroup.com
or visit us online at www.PaulJFord.com 41
Buyers Guide

chris.pleibel@p10wireless.com Jim Williamson

www.p10wireless.com 502.5437.5252 ext. 114
SERVICE: custom modification jimwilliamson@podgrp.com
www.podgrp.com
Perfect 10 is a leading solution SERVICE: site design, structural, consulting,
provider for the Telecommunica- surveying
P. Marshall and
tions Industry. We have a team
Associates (PM&A) dedicated to fabricating structural Engineering with integrity, adapting
1000 Holcomb Wood Parkway modifications and custom solu- to unique project goals through an
Suite 210 tions. Perfect 10 has the flexibility interactive approach. We look for-
Roswell, GA 30076 USA to do what is necessary to meet ward to being your partner. —adv.
Greg Hazlehurst our customer’s needs and exceed
678.280.2325 their expectations. —adv.
ghazlehurst@pmass.com Stainless
www.pmass.com 200 N. Warner Road, Suite 215
PML Consulting Engineers King of Prussia, PA 10406-2886
PM&A is a national site acquisition, 369 S. Riverside Drive Jon Marcusse
multidisciplinary engineering, and Neptune, NJ 07753 214.717.2282
construction management firm Pete Longo jon.marcusse@fdh-is.com
offering turnkey consulting and 908.770.4105 www.stainlesstowers.com
construction management services pmlongo@pmlllc.com SERVICES: site design, environmental, struc-
to our clients in the communications www.pmlllc.com tural, consulting
sector. Small cell, OSP, mods, or new SERVICES: electrical, power and backup sys-
site builds — we can deliver it! —adv. tems, site design, environmental, architec-
tural, structural, consulting V-Comm
2540 U.S. Highway 130, Suite 101
Cranbury, NJ 08512
Erica Villecco
609.655.1200
Gina.villecco@vcomm-eng.com
Perfect 10 Erica.villecco@vcomm-eng.com
1601 La Grande Drive www.vcomm-eng.com
Little Rock, AR 72223 Power of Design Group SERVICES: system design, propagation stud-
Chris Pleibel 11490 Bluegrass Parkway ies, interference mitigation, site design,
610.745.4491 Louisville, KY 40299 consulting

Westchester Services
604 Fox Glen
NEED A DIRECT BURIAL POLE Barrington, IL 60010
SOLUTION FOR YOUR 847.277.0070 ext. 701
jariema@westchesterservices.com
MICROCELL APPLICATION? www.westchesterservices.com
SERVICES: architectural, structural, site
Creative Pultrusions, Inc.’s design
Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) poles are
ideal. They will not rust, rot or corrode.

HIGH STRENGTH • RF TRANSPARENT

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CORROSION RESISTANT • UV PROTECTED List Your Company
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We will work with your organization to select the best
pole for your specific application based on wind, cell Contact Karen Clark by phone
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agl magazine July 2018

42
Product Showcase
PRODUCT SHOWCASE
Site Concealment
and Camouflage
Concealment Systems
Products and services from Solar
Communications International
(SCI) include concealment systems,
structural engineering, concealed-
site modification and maintenance,
and custom product manufacturing.
Products include faux trees (pine,
palm and various plants), water tow-
ers, fisheries and various other struc-
tural designs, flagpoles with radomes,
religious crosses and light standards.
As with many of SCI’s RFTransparent
water tanks, the 57-foot-high structure
shown in the photograph is in Loma
Linda, California. It has been built
on land set aside by Loma Linda to
preserve historical homes and now
represents the future of wireless con-
nectivity. With its ease of construction
and hand-painted artwork, this tower
is designed to blend into the commu-
nity’s character.
www.rftransparent.com
Stone Columns and
Faux Steeples
In Ontario, Canada, a custom conceal-
ment project (top photo) from Stealth
Concealment Solutions consists of
two faux stone columns. These col-
umns measure 30  inches square by
13 feet, 9 inches tall to include three
access panels each and ventilation to
prevent the equipment from overheat-
ing. Stealth performed a professional
site-walk service early on in the pro-
cess, which allowed an in-house artist
to make the color and texture match.
Stealth wireless concealments steeples
(bottom photo) can be designed and
manufactured as replacements or can
be constructed as a new structure.
The 60-foot-high steeple shown is a
tall replacement made up of several
ornate pieces to include functioning
louvered windows, a decorative cornice
and an RF-friendly cross.
www.stealthsite.com
aglmediagroup.com
43
Product Showcase
Architectural Camouflage
Coronado Bank SD02010 was originally
designed and built in 2007 by Peabody
Engineering’s Cell Site Disguise Guys.
The concealment held up well over the
past 10 years, but in 2017 the need for
larger antennas posed an opportunity
to provide additional camouflaging
without the high cost of a total rebuild.
Initially, a rebuild seemed like the only
option, but the Cell Site Disguise Guys
were able to design a base template that
would integrate with the existing sup-
ports while allowing for some field vari-
ance. The company also provided new
80-inch T fiberglass faux windows to
allow for the rooftop concealment to
stand out.
www.cellsitedisguiseguys.com
Microcell Poles
Creative Pultrusions manufactures
lightweight, high-strength, mainte-
nance-free, RF-transparent fiber-
reinforced polymer (FRP) microcell
poles. The poles are best suited for
street-level applications where aesthet-
ics and outdoor distribution antenna
systems are sought. The high-strength
pultruded fiberglass products are
designed and manufactured to provide
lasting performance in highly corrosive
environments, while offering high-
dielectric-strength benefits compared
with traditional materials of construc-
tion. Applications include custom and
standard structural pultruded fiber-
glass shapes, such as fiberglass panels,
agl magazine
44
fiberglass I-beams, fiberglass decking,
pultruded fiberglass grating, fiberglass
rods, fiberglass utility poles, pultruded
fiberglass cross arms, fiberglass struc-
tures, and carbon FRP pultrusions.
www.creativepultrusions.com
Rooftop Concealment Solutions
Shown is a custom-made cupola at
a historic hotel in Morris Township,
New Jersey. Engineered Endeavors
made this exact replica, including
the fish-scale shingle design and top
spire, in RF-friendly materials. The
company manufacturers concealment
products such as pine-tree poles; palm-
tree poles; bell and clock towers; AMS
system poles; architectural towers and
concealment panels; rooftop solutions,
including enclosures, cupolas, steeples,
screen walls and chimneys; and util-
ity structures for transmission and
substation applications. It also offers
monopoles and co-location products,
such as platforms, universal mounts,
cabled mounts, porthole kits and acces-
sories and used and new-stock towers.
www.engend.com
Architectural Screen Wall
Challenged with a critical match to
the shown building’s radial design,
Porter Site Concealment fabricated
an RF-transparent, custom-made
curved-screen wall. The concealment
for the multistory office building in
west Los Angeles includes two new
screen walls that had to match the
original in size, tiered design with
control joints, texture and color.
Accurately fabricating the radiused
screen wall components was of high
importance to ensure a uniform fit
onto the existing steel platform and to
expedite installation. Porter’s crafts-
men fabricated and installed the struc-
ture, which serves as an example of
Porter’s fabrication capabilities. The
high-quality fabrication and seamless
integration into the existing building
makes for an undetectable conceal-
ment. Porter’s product line includes
FRP rooftop structures, monument
signage, clock and bell towers, radome
systems, mono-trees and many other
unusual and custom designs.
www.porterrf.com
July 2018

Architectural Concealments
Coast to Coast Composites, formed
on September 2017 from three previ-
ous concealment companies, offers
concealment production and fiber-
reinforced polymer (FRP) fabrica-
tion. Products include screen walls,
cylinders, stacks, penthouses, steeples,
FRP components and custom architec-
tural products.
www.coast2coastcomposites.com
Mono-tree Sites
To help customers avoid continuously
replacing broken branches on mono-
trees, Chameleon Engineering offers
solid-core, pressure-molded urethane
branches for use instead of PVC and
fiberglass branches. The accompany-
ing photo shows a eucalyptus branch
in a wind tunnel, resisting a 150 mph
wind. The branch bends under the
pressure, reducing the load. Once the
wind stops, the branch returns to its
original shape without one leaf being
lost. The company engineers branch
receivers for the actual load they will
receive. For example, 130 feet on a
tower with 1 inch of ice will require
a different receiver than 50 feet on
a tower without ice. The company
also offers advanced 3-D tree simula-
tion technology.
www.chameleonengineering.com
Lampshade Tower Designs
Originally designed for an upscale
community having a mid-century-
modern feel, Larson Camouflage’s
flexible lampshade-style tower designs
were originally inspired by tiered lamp-
shades that were popular in the 1950s.
The lampshade-style tower shown here
is a 79-foot, three-carrier design with
the anchor tenant’s shroud installed.
Towers can be built with the mono-
pole extending beyond the top of the
shrouds to simulate a lamp finial,
breaking up flat appearance at the
top of the structure, or the top of
the monopole can be level with the
shrouds. The circular design of the
shrouds is more aerodynamic than
three- or four-sided structures and
offers greater flexibility for accommo-
dating different azimuths for different
carriers on the same tower.
Separating the shrouds and alternat-
ing their diameter on multitenant
structures creates a more aestheti-
cally pleasing appearance. Larson’s
lampshade-style shrouds are nor-
mally 14 feet or 16 feet in diameter
and between 8 feet and 10 feet tall
with structural supports at the top and
bottom of the shroud. These supports
are independent from the antenna
mounts allowing a range of off-the-
shelf antenna mounts to be used.
www.larsoncamo.com
Product Showcase Correction —
Power Supply Products
Power Supply with
DC/DC Converter
Phoenix Contact’s line of Quint SFB
power supplies includes a 48-volt to
24-volt DC-to-DC converter (model
2320144), which can convert a cell
tower’s battery voltage to 24  volts
for the environmental controls. The
DC-DC converter family can boost
voltage over long wire runs, regulate
battery voltage output and isolate
ground loops. The power supply line
includes an option for telecom towers.
A selective fuse breaking (SFB) tech-
nology allows the converters provide
up to six times nominal current for
12 milliseconds. The units also feature
power boost technology, providing up
to 125 percent of the rated output for
demanding loads. The power supplies’
advanced diagnostics, including DC
OK and power boost, make it easy to
check status. The housings are made
of extruded aluminum for improved
cooling and longer service life, which
also decreases the heat load in cabinets.
The converters carry UL 508 listing
and Class I, Div. 2 approval.
www.phoenixcontact.com
aglmediagroup.com
45
XXXXXXX Index & Professional Directory
Advertiser

ADVERTISER INDEX
3Z Telecom .................................................. 26
AGL eDigest ................................................. 46
AGL Summits ............................................... 47
Allstate Tower ............................................. 46
Charles Industries ........................................ 27
Creative Pultrusions .................................... 42
Engineered Endeavors.................................. 33
Hodge Structural Engineers ......................... 38
KP Performance Antennas ...........................23 Peabody Concealment ................................. 19
Kaelus .......................................................... 21 RadioWaves ................................................ 48
Larson Camouflage ...................................... 31 Rohn Towers ................................................ 36
McGriff Insurance Services ...........................19 Slatercom-WCD ........................................... 46
Mobile World Congress America ....................9 TowerXchange ............................................. 37
National Association of Tower Erectors ....... 39 Tower Family Foundation ............................ 35
Network Building + Consulting ...................... 7 Two Hops Wireless ...................................... 46
Paul J. Ford and Company ............................ 41 Valmont SitePro1 .......................................... 2

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY
Manufacturer of Guyed & Self-Support Towers
Put the power of AGL Magazine to work Complete line of Tower Accessories
for you with a professional card ad.
Full Range of Maintenance &
Installation Services

Karen Clark Kevin Roth

Eastern Region Sales Rep & VP of Sales
Advertising Coordinator
kclark@aglmediagroup.com 270-830-8512 Ext. 3601 P.O. Box 25 Henderson, KY 42419
Fax: 270-830-8475 kroth@pttg.com
303.979.0621
Mobile: 270-831-3632 www.PTTG.com
FEATURE
S
Profile: Centerline
Grounding Solutions
Practices
PUBLIC SAFETY
Distributed COMMUN
Antenna ICATIONS
Next-genera Systems
tion 911
BUSINESS
& MANAGEM
Paying Taxes ENT
the Right
Motivation Way
in Tough
Times

August 2016
/// Volume 13
/// No. 8

Two Hops Wireless, LLC

RF Engineering & Design
FCC & FAA Compliance
Rural WISP and Cellular Networks
Aerial Photography & Inspections
Network Operations
Richard P. Biby, P.E.
Two Hops Wireless, LLC
540 987 0500
rbiby@two-hops.com
www.two-hops.com
TWO HOPS WIRELESS, LLC

agl magazine July 2018

46
 ON THE ROAD
AGAIN IN 2018
Four New Cities
Near You

Thank you for joining

us in Philadelphia!

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us in San Ramon!

AGL 2018
aglmediagroup.com
47
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agl magazine July 2018

48