TECHNICAL BRIEF - Guyed Towers

A military fan-favourite is Millard's 30m (100ft) guyed tower. Comprised of 13S70 3m sections, the aluminum tower is durable, yet light enough to carry by hand. Sections are stocked and used to support Delta, X-Loop, Dipole, and Yagi antennas. While 30m is the standard height, the 3m sections can be stacked to heights as needed.

So why a guyed tower?

Guyed structures offer rigid support for technical equipment by providing minimal deflection. Taught guys transfer bending and twisting loads into vertical or axial loads culminating in a point load at the base. Due to this design feature, freestanding towers should never be guyed. Although you might be able to get away with it, it is a less than ideal engineering practice as converting a bending moment to a vertical load could cause failure. Adding guys to strengthen a structure might just have the opposite effect.

Although guyed towers have a larger footprint, it can provide significant cost savings where space and topography are not an issue. Less engineering, material, and fabrication is required when compared to a freestanding design. For the foundation, the low bending moment and high vertical load can greatly reduce civil work at the base. Although a guyed tower requires many foundations (the base plus one for each guy anchor), they are smaller and can be done without the use of heavy machinery. This is critical for remote locations where access can be an issue.

DND Line Crew train on a Millard 30m guyed tower using a gin pole and proper rigging practices.

For installation and servicing, a guyed aluminum design is ideal for remote or temporary sites where equipment is limited and inspection may be infrequent. Being lightweight and strong, gin poles, tilt bases, and a unique lattice structure allow equipment to be installed and serviced without the need for heavy machinery. The corrosion resistant properties also allow it to withstand tough environmental conditions.

For the right applications, guyed towers offer an excellent, engineering sound, cost-effective solution.