Miami Tower Construction

1
Removed temporary guy wires, ran conduit on inside of tower.

2
NO VISIBLE
WORK IS
EXPECTED ON TOWER
UNTIL MAY
11, 2009

For Additional Photographs Click Here

Tower Construction

TODAY: Limited or No Viewing Periods

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Check the site's current weather conditions

[[towerimage]]

WPLG Channel 10 Digital Broadcast Tower

·         1042.3’ to top of the antennas
·         12’ wide face
·         2-man elevator
·         Candelabra Tower --
          50’ separation between antennas (center to center
          between arbors)
·         Heaviest section is 26,500 lbs (Each section is 30’ in
          length). Total weight: 1,013,450 lbs.
·         Leg diameter ranges from 6.63” to 7.5“
·         Total of 5 levels of guy wires
·         Biggest guy wire is 2-5/8” and when pulled to final
          tension will be 106,000 lbs.
·         Tower Base foundation is 50’-6” below grade
·         The outer guy wire anchors are 55’ (min) below grade

PROFESSIONAL INDUSTRY RESOURCES
Broadcast Tower Manufacturers	Broadcast Installation / Maintenance	Remote Site Monitoring / Tower Lighting
Rohn Products	Rohn Products	Flash Technology
Sabre Communications	Sabre Communications	Hark Tower Systems
Valmont / Pirod Structures	Valmont / Pirod Structures	Specialty Tower Lighting, LTD

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EMAIL OTHERS IN YOUR COMPANY ABOUT THIS REAL TIME CONSTRUCTION. THEY'LL ALSO APPREICATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THESE TOWER PROFESSIONALS AT WORK.


March 1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12 ERECTION BEGINS: Stub set, temporary and first level guy wires set. Height is 170'	13 Track pole set, crane dismantled	14 No work on tower
15 No work on tower	16 No work on tower.	17 Rain	17 Rain	19 Rain	20 Building Ice Bridge	21 Test pick, building ice bridge. Rained out.
22	23 Ice bridge assembly, stacked 120'. Current Height: 290'.	24 Stacked 90'. Current Height: 380'. Intermittent camera coverage.	25 Stacked 120'. Current Height: 500'. Intermittent camera coverage.	26 Stacked 90'. Current Height: 590'.	27 High winds cancelled stacking.	28 Stacked 30' before rain and high winds shut down work. Height: 620'.
29 Rained out	30 Stacked 120', pulled 4th level guy wires. Height: 740'.	31 Did not stack today	For Additional Photographs Click Here


May					1	2
3	4	5	6	7	8	9
10	11 Stacked 120'. Current height: 860'	12 Intermittent RF camera conflicts. Stacked 70' and put in temporary guy wires. Current Height: 930'	13 Stacked 90'. Current Height: 1,000' TOPPED OUT	14 Installed tower top crane and staged candelabra sections	15 Installed knee braces for candelabra	16 Installed first candelabra
17 Installed second candelabra	18 Installed third candelabra	19 Hung candelabra guy wires	20 Jumped pole, tensioned candelabra guy wires	21 Tensioned candelabra guy wires	22 Installed two antenna mounting frames. Rained out.	23 Installed antenna mounting frame. Rained out.
24 Off	25 Off	26 Installed antennas. Rained out.	27 Installed antenna. Rained out.	28 Limited viewing while rigid transmission lines are installed	29 NO VISIBLE WORK IS EXPECTED ON TOWER UNTIL ANOTHER THREE WEEKS WHEN FALSE WORK IS TAKEN DOWN	30
31	For Additional Photographs Click Here

Questions regarding the erection of this 1,000-foot tower in Miami may have been asked when a similar project - a 1,500-foot tower in Deland, Florida - was also captured in time lapse intervals.

Please click here to see the Q&As. If your question wasn't addressed, please submit it to info@wirelessestimator.com

Are the wind and weight load equally balanced and distributed on all three candelabra structures? If not, how much variance can there be before the entire tower is compromised? I love watching the progress of this project. It is fascinating.

--A Texas Native

What type of antenna is the one on the right of the tower? Is it a special DTV antenna?

--Paul Whalen

Why is the candelabra different sizes? Wouldn't it be easier to have them all the same size?

--Abe Fisher, Cranford, New Jersey

----- The three candelabra arms are all the same size; the antenna mounting frames are not, but are designed to accommodate the antenna's height requirement.

The antenna seen on the right is not an antenna, but is a dummy pole. Some engineers scoff at this term and would much rather call it a load equalizing substitute, but that nomenclature has never caught on in the field, nor will it.

This faux compensatory communications column allows for equally distributed loads on the tower for proper balance.

I've been glued to this construction since it started. What is the purpose of the second lifting device on the top of the tower? Why can't the gin pole put on the antennas?
--Andrew McGuiness, Charleston, SC

----- The tower-top crane is required to be able to swing the three candelabra arms in place, a mobility that the gin pole can't accomplish.

The track pole lifting system will raise the candelabra mounts - weighing approximately 20-tons each - and then the hydraulically operated crane (the equipment sits in the yellow platform box at the left of the top of the tower) will install them on the face of the tower approximately 60-feet from the top.

Prior to that, pipe knee braces (sometimes called kickers) will be installed on the tower to provide additional structural support.

Candelabra sections are oftentimes picked with the knee braces already attached. However, the extraordinary weight of this candelabra, designed to meet the South Florida building code, would not allow the crane to pick it safely, and the bracing had to be installed prior to the candelabra pick. Sometimes it will take up to five hours or more to safely install one candelabra section.

A lattice section will be placed on each candelabra which will support the antenna.

There will be a 50-foot separation between antennas.

A double