How to choose tower type
There are generally four main considerations when choosing the type of tower for your deployment:
Antenna load
Tower area
the height of the tower
Budget
Antenna load
The antenna load capacity of the tower depends on the structure of the tower. The larger the surface area of antennas, coaxial cables, brackets and other equipment that is mounted on the tower and exposed to the wind, the stronger the tower is required.
To ensure that your equipment adds less than the tower's maximum allowable load, you must estimate the equipment's effective wind load.
Wind loads are proportional to the area of the exposed structure and the distance from the attachment to the ground. Curved and perforated shapes (mesh and trusses) provide less wind resistance and are therefore more suitable for achieving low wind loads. Solid pans are susceptible to wind loads and should be avoided in windy environments.
The average wind speed of the site must also be considered. The average wind speed depends on the site's location on Earth, its altitude, and the type of environment (rural or urban). Online statistics are available from meteorological agencies.
There are many ways to calculate wind loads, some better than others. The "latest" and possibly most accurate method is specified in the latest IEA222 standard specification.
The footprint of the tower
The footprint is the amount of free space on the ground required for the installation. Depending on the structure of the tower, it requires more or less installation space.
For tall cable masts (>100feet, 30m), each cable anchor is typically 1015m from the bottom of the mast. For a mast with 3 guy wires per floor, this results in a footprint of about 30 feet. 90,200 square meters.
the height of the tower
If you need a structure that is less than 40 feet, you can actually eliminate the expense and extra work required to pull wires. Instead, you can even mount the tower on the roof of your house or garage.
As mentioned, adding cables to the structure will allow for higher heights.
Budget
A general rule of thumb is:
"The smaller the tower base, the more expensive it is to purchase and install the tower"
Monopoles have the smallest footprint of all towers and are therefore the most expensive to install. This is followed by self-supporting towers, followed by guyed masts that require the largest footprint.
Also, depending on the type of tower you choose, certain tools, machinery and cranes are required to assemble the tower, which must be factored into the final budget.
