One Dead in TV Tower Collapse
- Thread starter steener
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There's some really bad reporting there. No, you can't see guy wires pulled from the ground, but you can see some that hit the ground with enough force to embed themselves several inches into the ground.
I've done some tower work. Up to about the 400 foot level. Never loved it but I can do it.
Raw speculation: Since they were only working at about the 100 foot level, they were probably working on installing something, maybe cell antennas. To do this you may use a capstan winch to haul the antenna array up the tower and those things can generate quite a pull. Fumble finger the capstan operation and you can pull a lot harder on the tower than you should. Another possibility is that said (heavy) cell equipment assembly may have dropped some distance and upon stopping at the end of the rope, or impacting a standoff or other tower attachment, may have shock loaded that part of the tower beyond structural limits.
There's a heck of a lot that can go wrong when doing tower work. Even if you don't do something really stupid like unbolt a structural framing member to get a length of hardline inside the tower framing.
I've done some tower work. Up to about the 400 foot level. Never loved it but I can do it.
Raw speculation: Since they were only working at about the 100 foot level, they were probably working on installing something, maybe cell antennas. To do this you may use a capstan winch to haul the antenna array up the tower and those things can generate quite a pull. Fumble finger the capstan operation and you can pull a lot harder on the tower than you should. Another possibility is that said (heavy) cell equipment assembly may have dropped some distance and upon stopping at the end of the rope, or impacting a standoff or other tower attachment, may have shock loaded that part of the tower beyond structural limits.
There's a heck of a lot that can go wrong when doing tower work. Even if you don't do something really stupid like unbolt a structural framing member to get a length of hardline inside the tower framing.
paulears
Member
Considering the height of the tower, the force moment for even a heavy add on at such a low height is a very small proportion of the safety factor of the entire tower. Some kind off catastrophic failure here, but speculation is rarely useful.On these towers the tension on the guys is amazingly high - far higher than even a heavy dish. Let's hope more info is forthcoming.
iamhere300
Member
They were replacing cross bracing, for a beef up of the tower. The owner of the company is the one that died.
RFI-EMI-GUY
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This is a very dangerous profession. They guys that do this work have to be commended on their bravery. It is sad that this constant change of technology that brings wealth, also results in so many needless fatalities.
We had a beefy guyed tower here in Florida that had a top obstruction lamp go out. The crew got 1/3 of the way up took some photos and retreated. The corrosion on the tower legs was so bad the tower had to be condemned.
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