I have a contractor who is playing games with me in respect to a job where he claims to have tensioned guy wires, and am in need of a copy of TIA222G Annex K where specifications these specifications are addressed. I'm aware of how this is done, but need a copy of the spec to hold him to task.
Can anyone help me?
David McGinnis
david.k.mcginnis@gmail.com
If this is a commercial tower at a site, then simply find the drawings or go back to the company and ask them. It is not a rocket science to tension guy wires. Problem is that many so called "tower service companies" don't have the strain gauge needed to measure the guy wire tension.
The device needed to measure the tension is hung on the guy wire and a lever thrown to clamp the device to the cable. Then you can read the actual tension right off the device. There is no universal one device does all sizes of guy wire cables. As you move up in size, you also need to move up in the size of the gauge that can measure the actual tension. The device is really a 3 point clamp. Your looking to see what the deflection is when the clamp is activated to deflect the cable. The greater the distance, the looser the cable is.
The number of pounds of tension the guy wires require will vary with the size of the cable and to what height they attach to the tower. To find these numbers, it is best to go back to the tower company and obtain the actual specs for your tower. Each tower is unique in that it is designed for the type of tower, height of the tower, the antenna load of the tower and how stiff it needs to be for twist and sway. If you still have the original drawings for the tower, all this information will be clearly spelled out for each level of the guy wires on the tower.
Another thing to keep in mind is the age of your tower. If it is new, then the new specs are in play. If it is an old tower, then you have to use the specs the old tower was built to. Plus the type of construction of the tower will play a role in the guy wire tension. A tower built with tubular legs will be different than a tower built with solid legs.
After you have been around towers long enough, you can almost walk up to them and put your hand on the guy wire and give it a tug or hit it with a 2x4. The amount of movement you can put on the guy wire will give you an indication of how much tension that cable has. Bear in mind the larger the cable, the less effect you will have on this movement. But it will let you get a feel for the tension of the different levels the cables are attached to the tower.
I have seen some real poorly maintained towers where the guy wires were really loose and you could send a slow wave up the guy wires. This is another crude method to give you a feel for the tension. The greater the tension, the faster the wave will travel up the cable. In many cases you might not see it, but can feel the return wave come back through your hand that you keep on the guy wire.
The 2x4 piece of wood hitting the guy wire will actually produce a musical note in the guy wire. The higher the note, the higher the guy wire tension is. A loose guy wire will sort of produce a dull thud. A good tension on the cable can be used to give you a rough indication in tone on the tension. Do not use a metal object to rap the guy wire, as this will damage the galvanization on the guy wires.
