Overview

Telecom software is an intuitive application to model, analyze, and design steel telecommunication structures such as self-supporting towers, guyed masts, and monopoles.

Versatile modelling tools to create any types of towers
Telecom software includes powerful and productive features to generate any type of latticed structure models. Engineers can model faster than ever using the parametric generator and the panel libraries. The automatic model generator tool will generate the full 3D model of any towers including the main members, diagonals, diaphragms and discrete or linear attachments such as antennas, dishes and feedlines. Panels can be defined by the user through the panel editor command or selected from standard panel libraries. Standard libraries also include materials and sections, dishes, guys, and transmission wires.

Generate quickly latticed towers, guyed masts, and monopoles
Automatic generation of 3-sided and 4-sided latticed towers, guyed masts, and monopoles.
Automatic generation of feedlines on latticed towers.
Built-in database of cables, dishes, antennas, and transmission wires.

Monopole Generator
Users can automatically generate monopoles which allows the generation of the structure quickly by specifying key parameters and dimensions. Stepped or Tapered type of monopole can be selected to simplify the input data.

Fatigue parameters can be specified for the top joint of each segment and for the base plate as well.

• Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)-222

• CSA S37

Analysis features

Automatic generation of dead, ice, thermal and wind loads according to TIA-222 and CSA S37.
Uniform wind pressure profile and uniform thickness ice profile.
User-defined wind pressure profiles.
United States county listings of design criteria for wind, wind with ice, and ice.
Loading for joints, members including concentrated, uniform, trapezoidal and thermal loads.
Loading for surfaces and finite element plates.
Automatic calculation of drag coefficients, gust factors, topographic parameters and escalate ice thickness according to TIA-222.
Display loads graphically and detailed wind and ice loads parameters can be displayed in numerical tables.

Comprehensive Analysis methods including:
– Static linear
– P-Delta
– Static non-linear
– Buckling
– Natural frequencies
– Seismic and dynamic

Linear and exact nonlinear cable elements (catenary cables).
Automatic handling of tension-only members.

Model dynamic and fatigue loads

Tower dynamic effect and fatigue according to S37-18 Annex N.
Automatic generation of fatigue wind gust loads and vortex shedding loading according to the TIA-222-H and S37-18.
Design checks according to TIA-222-H, TIA-222-G, and CSA S37-18.

Design checks of the following sections:
Rolled 90° and 60° (schifflerized) angles
60° and 90° cold formed angles
HSS and pipes
Round sections
Tubular sections (8 sides, 12 sides, 16 sides, 18 sides, 20 sides, 24 sides, and round)

Fatigue parameters

The Monopole Generator command auto assign the fatigue parameter when generating the model according to the input data. If the model has been created manually or after the model automatic generation is done, users can edit the Fatigue Parameters table to change the fatigue parameters for the connection details for both ends of the member or it can be edited graphically (see Member Attributes – Tubular).

Automatic calculation of wind and ice loads

Automatic generation and calculation of wind, ice, dead and thermal loads according to TIA-222-H, TIA-222-G, and CSA S37-18.
All design and geometric parameters are automatically calculated (slenderness ratios, force coefficients, etc.)

Wind and Ice loads generator
The Wind and Ice Loads Generator command is used to generate wind and ice loads on open structures (Electric substations, transmission towers, telecommunication towers).

Depending on the type of distribution chosen, various loading conditions are possible such as:
– Wind only
– Wind with ice
– Service wind load
– Two thermal load
– Self-weight load
– Ice load

Wind loads
The Wind Loads command is used to define the tower wind loads parameters. The Telecom Software automatically generates the distribution of the wind loads on the structure according to these parameters.

The generation of the loads is made automatically during the analysis. However, the user may view the generated data with the Wind Load Data command prior to running the analysis.

Telecom Design features

Available design provisions include ANSI/TIA-222 and CSA S37.

Members are checked against their ultimate strength in accordance with the selected code.
Design checks include:
– Slenderness ratios
– Buckling length
– Tension
– Compression
– Connections (shear, bearing, block shear)
– Anchor rods

Calculation of the equivalent loads on footings.

Can optionally check members according to LRFD for:
– Bending
– Tension-bending
– Compression-bending
– Shear
– Torsion
– Warping

Profile optimization of selected members allows to test different section shapes, grade and material types.

Antennas

The Antennas command allows to define telecommunication antenna properties.

Various types of antennas are possible such as:
Dish
– Paraboloid without Radome
– Paraboloid with Radome
– Paraboloid with Shroud (HP)
Grid
Flat
Round

Definition of bolts

Users can use the definition of bolts command to define the layout and properties of the bolts that will be used to connect the members of the structure.

Diameter (D)
Threads Pitch (tp)
Tensile Stress (Fub)
Shear Strength (Through Body) (Fvb)
Shear Strength (Through Threads) (Fvt)

Telecom Specifications

Connection schemas
Users can use the connection schema command to define the layout and properties of the bolts that will be used to connect the members of the structure such as:
-Bolt
-Diameter (D)
-Threads Pitch (tp)
-Ultimate Stress (Fu)
-Bolts Class

Type of connection:
– Direct connections
– A splice connection

Number of bolted flanges
Number of bolts columns

Column face prototypes
A column is composed of several segments placed in a sequential order. Each column face is made of panels which fit into the column segments.

The Column Face Prototypes dialog box is used to define this sequence of panels. Each sequence is defined independently from the column; it will be attached to a specific column face by the Column Face Identification command.

Frame prototypes
The library in which the panel is defined as well as the desired panel must be selected in the Panel Library and Panel Name lists.

The Telecom Software provides a series of standard connection and diaphragm panels which can be found in the Standard-D library. Additional panels can also be created using the Panel Editor.

Guys
The Guys command allows to define the guys configuration for guyed towers. The guys and attachment members are generated when the tower model is generated using the Generation of Model command.

Anchor rods and Base plates
The anchor rods command is used to define the parameters of the anchorage of the columns to the foundations. Four types of anchors are available.

Anchors rods are checked for fatigue loading. New parameters in the Anchor Rods and Base Plates dialog box are available to define the fatigue threshold for the anchor rod. The fatigue check results are available in the anchor rods design table for fatigue load combinations.

ASCE 48-11 method
TIA-222-H method (Annex Q)

Vortex Shedding Force Calculator
This command helps users to quickly calculate the vortex shedding distributed force (Fvs) according to the Annex N of the S37-18.

Load generation

Telecom Software has capabilities to manually add joint and member loads as well as for the automatic generation of code-specified loads.

Surface wind loads data
The surface wind loads may be filtered before being displayed. It is possible to restrain the displayed results to the selected surfaces or to display them for the entire model. It is also possible to display the results for a specific basic load.

Ice loads
The Ice Loads command is used to define the tower ice loads parameters.  Telecom Software automatically generates the distribution of the ice loads on the structure according to these parameters.

The generation of the loads is made automatically during the analysis. However, the user may view the generated data with the Ice Load Data command prior to running the analysis.

Member ice loads
The member ice loads may be filtered before being displayed. It is possible to restrain the displayed results to the selected members or to display them for the entire model. It is also possible to display the results for a specific basic load.

Member wind loads data
The member wind loads may be filtered before being displayed. It is possible to restrain the displayed results to the selected elements or to display them for the entire model. It is also possible to display the results for a specific basic load.

• Displayed graphically on the 3D model through color representation or presented numerically in spreadsheets and reports

Executive Reports

• Customizable, user-friendly, and exhaustive report generation in multiple formats including Word document and Excel worksheet

• Generate executive report summary by printing the results for only the critical load combination

Results and Reports

Telecom Software provides an exhaustive set of result features that include graphical views, diagrams, spreadsheets and text reports.
Towers can be shown as lines, wire frames or can be rendered as 3D polygon surfaces.
Results can be visualized either graphically or numerically.
Input data and results may be printed for the whole structures or partial structures using graphical selection or a range of elements.
Customized list of input and results to be printed.
All graphics can be printed or copied to the clipboard for use in external programs.
Comprehensive manuals and help documentation available.

Reports are available in several formats including:
– Microsoft Word reports
– Microsoft Excel Spreadsheets
– ASCII files

Can export the model to:
– AutoCAD
– SDNF

• Possibility to hide or dim a selection of elements of the model

• Allows for graphical or tabular editing of selected elements

• Animated graphical results, buckling and vibration modes