Telecom towers, whether monopoles, guyed towers, or self-supporting towers, require many types of inspection during construction and then frequently thereafter.
Weld inspections performed by qualified structural tower inspection engineering services are especially important for ensuring the structural soundness of the towers as they go up and throughout their lifetime.
Towers Face Phenomenal Amounts of Stress
Standing hundreds of feet into the air, these towers undergo huge amounts of stress that over time can affect the integrity of the welds holding them together, causing weld failures and other structural damage.
A critical part of reducing this stress and damage is hiring an experienced structural tower engineering firm to assist in the design and construction of highly stable, structurally sound towers.
The other essential part of keeping telecom towers safe is having routine weld inspections performed by AWS Certified Welding Inspectors (CWI).
What Do Welding Inspectors Look For?
To ensure tower fitness, welding inspectors perform visual inspections of every weld on the tower, regardless of how tall that tower may be.
Weld issues that can affect the integrity of the tower can stem from a number of causes, from poor tower design, welds that are too small for the tower, an unbalanced base, and even poor quality, brittle steel that is more susceptible to cracking.
Stress cracks and other problems are noted and visual observations used to diagnose structural problems with the tower so the right repairs can be planned.
How Often Must Towers Be Inspected?
Tower inspection requirements may differ from state-to-state, but the generally accepted requirement is every 5 years for self-supporting towers and every 3 years for others.
Weld inspections and other inspections should always be performed by a tower engineering service that is licensed to perform these important inspections.
Towers with greater exposure to decomposition such as those in coastal locations should be inspected more often.
In all cases, every weld must be viewed to confirm its condition, and that the tower remains structurally sound.
Keep Your Tower Safe With Weld Inspections
Putting up a communications tower is no easy feat and keeping it up requires careful observation by qualified structural engineers trained to recognize stress factors before they become a safety hazard.
Companies that are either investing in new towers or maintaining existing ones can best do so by first choosing the right structural tower engineering contractor to handle their weld inspections and all other tower inspections.
As every tower is only as strong as its weakest weld, it is essential to depend on tower engineering services with the training and track record for providing this important service.