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SITE PREPARATION & INSTALLATION OF A STEEL TELECOMMUNICATION TOWER


In a greenfield telecommunication tower installation project, there are few major steps as below;

  1. Site clearing
  2. Setting out of tower location and other equipment locations
  3. Foundation work
  4. Installation of steel tower
  5. Fixing Antenna brackets
  6. Earthing of tower
  7. Plinths for other equipment
  8. Fencing & completion
  9. Final acceptance test
Site clearing

Setting out of tower location

Setting out will be done using a Total station machine. Normally the direction of antennas are given in the site handing over document by the planning division. And the arrangement plan of the tower premises also given by the document. The direction of legs and the location of tower will be suitably selected by the engineer or surveyor considering above facts.


Tower foundation construction

There are few steps in tower foundation construction after setting out of tower or tower legs locations. The steps are as follows;

  • Excavation of foundation (dewatering if necessary)
  • Lean concrete
  • Rebar cage fixing for footings and column stump
  • Concreting of footings
  • Placement of template for tower base
  • Installation & setting out of anchor bolt for tower legs
  • Concreting of column stumps (and tie beams if any)



Installation of steel tower

Lower most legs of the tower will be installed first with the aid of a backhoe loader, crane or any other suitable mean. Then the other legs of the tower will be installed step by step to the top in a symmetrical manner.
If using a team of Riggers (man power) to lift element and fix the tower (normally in hill areas where heavy machineries cannot reach, manual installation is preferred), There should be ropes connected to poles in three directions to safely lift the tower legs to top of required level (one pole would be the top of existing leg and need to handle carefully in a way not to damage the existing member). If it is possible to use cranes to lift elements, the process would be easy. how ever for tall tower over 30m cranes will not be a feasible solution.
Tightness of the members or the nut and bolts in connections is very important in the erection process. Final tightening is done after full erection completes to avoid any deviation of the verticality of the tower.





Fixing antenna brackets

Fixing of antenna brackets will be done after completion of the body of the tower. The direction of antennas given will be considered when installing brackets.



 Earthing of tower

A copper tape will be connected to tower from top (receivers) to bottom and ground using copper rods or copper mesh as required and as practical to use. The resistance will be measured using an om-meter. If the value is acceptable ( below 1 om) it is considered as safe in thundering times.




Fencing and other civil work

Other civil works in a telecommunication tower construction site are as follows;
  • Fencing, power or lights and security arrangement
  • Meter compartment
  • Concrete plinths for Generators, BTUs, etc.
  • Access road construction


Final acceptance test

Final acceptance test will be done after completion of all the above work, prior to hand over to the telecommunication engineers for equipment, antenna installation and functioning of tower. A rigger will check all the connections for tightness with the direction of the engineer. And the other requirements like equipment foundation, access, fencing, earthing, foundation, etc. will be checked by the assessor or engineer according to a standard check list


Fixing of antennas and other equipment

Antenna and the other equipment fixing will be done by the telecommunication engineers.
Safety

Since erection of towers are at high risk unless the correct methods, procedures and practices followed it is very important to ensure the safe work procedures are adopted during construction.


You may also read.....

https://engcivilstuff.blogspot.com/2020/04/final-acceptance-test-quality-test-for.html
https://engcivilstuff.blogspot.com/2020/04/sample-foundation-detail-of-steel.html

https://freeminds-on.blogspot.com/

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