As the development of emergent technologies that are dependent on wireless connectivity (self-guided vehicles, eHealth, etc.) expands, so does the need for additional wireless infrastructure. However, it may be challenging for End Users (tower owners, wireless carriers, government entities like 911 services, broadcasters, etc.) to find suitable locations for macro wireless facilities. This is particularly acute in urban and metropolitan areas where land is developed, but due to denser population, there is a higher demand for bandwidth. This has led wireless infrastructure developers such as End Users to deploy wireless facilities on top of or attached to alternative structures such as buildings and other non-telecommunication primary use structures.
Mounting telecommunications facilities on buildings presents unique challenges to all stakeholders in our industry. The purpose of this white paper is to raise awareness and improve consistency to the best practices for structural analysis and design considerations with building-mounted structures.
The objectives of this paper are to:
- Identify and define different types of building-mounted telecommunications facilities
- Clarify code application based on intended use of the structure
- Report initial testing of coefficient of friction values
- Discuss potential failure modes and remediation considerations
- Identify typical failures from installation fault
- Highlight the importance of completing a Post-Installation/Post-Modification Inspection
