Client: Cyprus Telecommunications Authority (CYTA)

This 16 m tall, guyed pole is installed on the roof of a building in Limassol. There was need for increase in the number and the area of the mobile telephony equipment, that it will host. As a result, the bearing capacity of the pole had to be assessed. The analyses revealed exceedance of: 1) the bending capacity of the base connection, 2) the bearing capacity of the foundation and 3) the tensile resistance of the structural cables. The replacement of the structural cables was considered as a feasible procedure, though the strengthening of the base connection and of the foundation was a complex and costly task. Thus, the strengthening task was concentrated on the reduction of the developed internal forces by the existing lateral load resisting system. The solution was derived via the insertion of two diagonal supporting members, which are connected on the pole and on the roof slab. Special attention was paid on the point that the two members were connected and on the connection typology, in order to avoid stress concentration on the pole. Furthermore, their base connection was thoroughly investigated, so as to achieve a direct support on the roof slab, in the absence of additional foundations.