Wind load tests

The market for base station antennas is developing very dynamically. To ensure that the demand for growing data transmission capacities is well met, antennas are developed to be more efficient and complex. This has an impact on the outside dimensions of antennas, even though these are designed with an increasing integration density. With this development, the strength of the existing antenna masts may no longer be ensured, especially when antennas in the field are replaced or additional ones are mounted. Antenna site operators implementing modernizations are, therefore, facing additional costs. Furthermore, high wind loads at high wind speeds, for example during storms or hurricanes, are a particular challenge. The MNOs (Mobile Network Operators) or their contractors are always legally responsible for designing and dimensioning antenna sites. Depending on the region and the location of the antenna site, these influences must be considered when considering the site safety from a structural analysis point of view. This paper on wind loading gives a detailed explanation of these facts and circumstances. It provides a clear understanding of the values stated in data sheets and reveals their limits of use.