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Using CSA S37-01 in TOWER and PLS-POLE

Introduction
TOWER and PLS-POLE now provide explicit support for the Canadian Standards
Association standard S37 2001 for Antennas, Towers and Antenna-Supporting Structures
(hereafter referred to simply as “S37”). Prior to now, some engineers have used the TIA/EIA 222-F
code in TOWER and PLS-POLE to analyze structures according to S37 through careful use of load
and strength factors. The new support for S37 eliminates the need for this workaround and will
make the modeling and analysis process faster and more accurate. This document will briefly
explain how you can use this new capability in TOWER and PLS-POLE to meet some of the
requirements of S37.

Notes for Users of ANSI/TIA/EIA Standards

S37 models are very similar to models made with 222 Revisions E-G. However, S37 uses
an hourly mean wind based on a 30-year return period. This wind definition is not compatible with
either 222-F or 222-G, so you will need to make a separate “.eia” loads file for your S37 projects.
Fortunately, the geometry and other input are compatible with S37. So, you can easily convert any
models you may have already made to use the new explicit S37 loading option merely by switching
to it in General/General Data and creating the new “.eia” loads file with the Loads/EIA Loads.

Getting Started With CSA S37-01

The geometry of a TOWER or PLS-POLE model will not require any changes to be used
with S37. You can switch to the S37 strength check in TOWER and loading in PLS-POLE and
TOWER simply by selecting it in General/General Data. Please note that throughout the software
the phrase “EIA” may be used to refer to information or commands that are only applicable in a
telecommunications context. In these cases the information or command applies to S37 as well.
For example, the “Af Flat Factor For Face EIA Only” and “Ar Round Factor For Face EIA Only”
columns in Geometry/Sections/Define in TOWER apply to models that use S37. In addition to
using terminology borrowed from the ANSI/TIA/EIA 222 standard, any ambiguity in interpreting S37
is resolved the same way ANSI/TIA/EIA 222 would.

Copyright © Power Line Systems, Inc. 2006 1 Last Revised March 9, 2009
Revisions
February 2009, TOWER version 10.01:

6.3.4.2 Now calculate Anet = 0.70(Aeff - h x t x nh) rather than the more
conservative Anet = (0.70 x Aeff) - (h x t x nh)

March 2009, TOWER version 10.03:

6.2.5.3 Now automate the special cases given in table 7 if select eccentricity and
restraint codes of 31, 32, 33, 34 or 35 (corresponding to the rows in
table 7) for your welded solid round bracing members.

Detailed Notes
Prior to making use of S37 in PLS-POLE or TOWER you should read that code in detail
along with these notes and the Commentary on CSA Standard S37-01. The following notes
correspond to section numbers in S37-01 (with the 04 update applied) and will help you to
understand the implementation of S37 in PLS-POLE and TOWER.

C4.1 You can make the “allowance of about 5% of the structure weight” by
entering 1.05 in the Dead Load Factor column in Loads/EIA Loads.

4.2.1 Ice density as well as all other loading parameters may be input in the
table reached via the Loads/EIA Loads command.

The software does not automate the case where the gap between two adjacent
parallel members is less than twice the radial ice thickness.

4.2.2 No provision is made for increasing the ice thickness with height.

4.3.1 The software calculates the gust effect factor, Cg, and height factor, Ce,
4.7 automatically. Note that in order for Ce to be based on the height of the
structure above ground when it is mounted on a building you must do the
following: TOWER: input the building elevation in General/EIA Options.
PLS-POLE: the Z coordinate entered in Steel/Wood/Concrete Poles Geometry
must correspond to the elevation at the base of the pole.

The software does not automate the calculation or the application of the
Roof Speedup Factor Ca.

4.3.3 You may input a 10-year return hourly wind pressure for q when this clause
applies, but the software will always calculate Cg as per 4.6.1.

4.5.1 Ce is always automatically calculated as (Hx/10)0.2.

4.5.2 TOWER: qh will be calculated at the mid-elevation of each section defined

in Geometry/Sections/Define; therefore, these sections must not exceed 6m
in height.
PLS-POLE: qh will be calculated at the mid-elevation of each beam element
the pole is broken into; therefore, the maximum pole segment length input
in General/General Data must not exceed 6m.
4.5.4 For equipment entered in Geometry/Equipment, qh is calculated at the
elevation of the attachment joint.

Copyright © Power Line Systems, Inc. 2006 2 Last Revised March 9, 2009
4.6.1 TOWER: A Cg of 2.0 is always applied automatically for you.
PLS-POLE: A Cg of 2.5 is always applied automatically for you. If you
manually account for vortex shedding and wish to use 2.0 for Cg then you
should reduce the Wind Load Factor in Loads/EIA Loads accordingly.

4.6.3 No special provisions are made for dynamic effects of wind on towers that
exceed 250m or for checking vortex shedding or fatigue for pole structures.

4.7 The roof speed-up factor Ca is always 1.0. You may manually account for
this factor through the factors in Geometry/Sections/Define in TOWER or by
adding fictitious areas in Geometry/Dead Loads and Drag Areas in PLS-POLE.

4.9.1.1 TOWER: Ag is based on the horizontal distance between the axes of the
members in the model (not on the outside dimensions) unless you have a mast
with round legs and have selected the General/EIA Options “Member face
width based on out-to-out dimensions” option.

Any ice thickness specified for a given load case is included in the
calculation of Ag.

TOWER does not automatically account for connection plates. You must
manually account for them by increasing the factors Af and/or Ar in
Geometry/Sections/Define.

The drag factors for round and flat members are calculated as per this
section. Cdf is printed as Face CF and Cdr is not printed, but the Round
Reduction factor component of Cdr is printed as Face RR.

The factor Kd is calculated separately for round and flat members and
reported as the Face DF (directionality factor flat) and Face DR
(directionality factor round).

4.9.1.2 TOWER does not automate the calculation of shielding. Wind will be
incident on any member in the face or any Linear Appurtenance with Include
In Wind Load set. Remove the member from the face and/or clear the Include
In Wind Load setting for a Linear Appurtenance should you decide that it is
completely shielded and should not have wind applied to it.

4.9.1.3 Linear appurtenances in the face will be included in the net projected area
As.

See notes for 5.5.1.1. You are responsible for modeling the structure in
such a way that the Face is the face with the largest area of linear
appurtenances.

4.9.1.5 The drag factors described in this section are automatically applied to
linear appurtenances with Include In Wind Load set to yes.

You can control whether the wind load is limited as per this section with
the Apply actual calculated wind load instead of limiting… option in
General/EIA Options.

4.9.2.2 When calculating Cd, PLS-POLE will first calculate Ra as the ratio of the
Table 2 area of linear appurtenances mounted outside the pole to the area of the
pole for each section. Only the linear appurtenances are considered in the

Copyright © Power Line Systems, Inc. 2006 3 Last Revised March 9, 2009
 calculation of Ra and all of the appurtenances outside the pole are
considered exposed to wind.
Linear appurtenances are always considered to contribute to the wind load
if they are mounted outside the pole regardless of the value of Ra.
Brackets or other discrete, but repeating appurtenances should be modeled
as equivalent linear appurtenances if you want them included in the
calculation of Ra.

4.9.3 A drag coefficient of 1.2 is always used internally overriding whatever you
input in Components/Cable.
If you need to account for attachments such as spoilers or markers then
create a new guy property in Components/Cable and input an effective
diameter that accounts for the attachments.
A uniform wind pressure and ice thickness is applied to each guy calculated
at the mid elevation of the guy.

4.9.4 Using your engineering judgment you may opt to use the antenna loading
methodology prescribed in ANSI/TIA 222-G Annex C by selecting one of the
EIA Microwave Antenna types for the equipment you enter in
Geometry/Equipment. In this case you must carefully review Equipment Load
Case Information output in the Analysis Results report to make sure the
calculated loads are appropriate for your antenna and meet the
manufacturer’s recommendations. Alternately, you may calculate antenna
loads manually and input them in the Point Loads subtable of Loads/EIA
Loads. Note that concentrated loads input in the Point Loads subtable of
Loads/EIA Loads are already assumed to be factored (the load factors in
Loads/EIA Loads are not automatically applied to them).

4.9.4.3 The software does not automatically account for any possible shielding of
one antenna by another.

4.10 Temperature effects are considered for all load cases where the temperature
input in Loads/EIA Loads does not correspond to that input in General/EIA
Options as the Guy Installation Temperature.

4.11 Earthquake effects can be calculated manually (as an equivalent lateral

acceleration) and input as point loads or calculated automatically if the
ANSI/TIA 222-G code is used.

5.2 You should input the load combinations from 5.2 and any additional load
cases that are necessary in the Loads/EIA Loads table.

5.3 Input the dead, wind and ice load factors in the Loads/EIA Loads table.
Table 3
You should multiply the input wind and ice factors by the importance
factor.

A thermal expansion (temperature) factor is not provided, but you may input
a temperature that incorporates the desired factor.

Note that concentrated loads input in the Point Loads subtable of Loads/EIA
Loads are already assumed to be factored (the load factors in Loads/EIA
Loads are not automatically applied to them).

5.5.1.1 TOWER: Unless you know without a doubt that a face is the controlling face
for wind loading you should create three separate TOWER models (one for

Copyright © Power Line Systems, Inc. 2006 4 Last Revised March 9, 2009
 each face) to make sure that all loading possibilities are considered for
all wind directions.

5.7 The software does not automate the application of a cantilever factor.

6 The strength check implemented in TOWER is described in the TOWER manual.

6.4 No CSA S37-01 strength check is implemented in PLS-POLE for tubular steel
C6.4 poles. However, careful inspection of 6.4 reveals that it is similar to
ASCE 48-05 (manual 72) which may be used to approximate it given the
appropriate strength factors. If you have an 18 sided pole then you may
wish to use the ANSI/TIA 222-G strength check which is also similar to 6.4.

6.2.3.3. If you select CSA S37-01 for the Crossing Diagonal check in General/General
Data and place any crossing diagonals in a “Crossing Diagonal” group then
TOWER will automatically calculate ADL when at least one member in the
crossing diagonal pair is in compression. For more information see the
Crossing Diagonal Check Technical Note at
http://www.powline.com/products/tower-crossing-diagonal-check.pdf

As you can see from these notes the implementation of CSA S37-01 involves a number of
assumptions and approximations. Therefore when using S37 you should carefully review the
output from the program and compare it to hand calculated values to make sure that you have
properly understood and accounted for all of the assumptions, approximations and factors involved
in the modeling. In particular you should review the S37 Load Case Information table in the
Analysis Results report in PLS-POLE and the S37 Section Load Case Information table in the
Analysis Results report in TOWER.

Copyright © Power Line Systems, Inc. 2006 5 Last Revised March 9, 2009