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Tower Inspections

B

Brian Bowers

I worked for a company for ten years that allowed me to have tower inspections done once a year. I had two towers to maintain at that time. The third was owned by a TV station, and we rented space on that tower, moving to the aux. transmitter when they did their late night inspection. The TV started out doing them once a year too, then went to a once every two year schedule.

I am now working for a different company, and I am now responsible for 4 towers. I have been with this company for 5 years now. Even though I constantly bring up the subject, only 1 of the 4 has had an inspection (and painting) in the last 5 years. I am ready to go over some heads at this point and make a rather large stink about it.

Just wondering if anyone has stories like this to tell, what I might do in a situation like this, or how often you are having tower inspections done. I'm starting to lose track - are inspections and paintings considered a Capital Expense? Thank you in advance.
 
Brian Bowers said:
Just wondering if anyone has stories like this to tell, what I might do in a situation like this, or how often you are having tower inspections done. I'm starting to lose track - are inspections and paintings considered a Capital Expense? Thank you in advance.
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Capital usually implies buying stuff that is useful for more than a year and depreciating its cost. This is more likely maintenance and would be expensed in the year it is done.

If your company owns the towers and if they're insured, I wonder how often the insurance company wants inspections?
 
I'd get your manager to sign something that states that he knows and effectively refuses to have the tower inspected regularly if you can't talk him into doing the right thing. Sometimes they are dumb enough to put something in writing. After that, you're sort of covered. If bad things happen, you just pass it on up to their boss that at that point is screaming. heh.. The best thing is if you can convince them that cutting this corner is a REALLY bad idea for liablity reasons, etc. But, other than that it's CYA mode time....
 
A tower needing paint is sorta self evident. My question is: when exactly was the last tower inspection or painting? Not during your 5 year tenure maybe, but how long before that! ??ever??

Surely during this time you have had to have a bulb changed. I always ask my climbers to look at the guy attachments, signs of rust, loose hardware on any mounting brackets, or anything else they might notice while on the stick. If they do see something, write it down in the maintenance log. Regardless, I would communicate this to management via a letter so it is in black and white.
 
My piece of advice
Never use the same inspectors twice in a row either, and never use the company who is your defacto rigging company.

So if you use Northeast Towers to do your rigging, have your inspection done by ERI, Radian, Coast to Coast, etc...

And alternate them. If you have ERI do them one year, have Coast to Coast do them the next year, etc...
 
A bulldozer operator is not a civil engineer, nor is a tower rigger or bulb changer a structural engineer. Several factors apply as to how often and to what degree such as height, age and construction to mention just a few. Gravity, wind and temperature cycles work hard every day to bring it to the ground so it is a living thing and has to be monitored and maintained. If something happens, your insurer will be looking for any excuse to deny, postpone or reduce the pay-out and they don’t mind hiring a subject matter expert that will take the maintenance history into account and will know all about EIA RS222 and all its revisions over the years. How much risk is your ownership willing to accept? At one time, it seemed that there was a distinction or “rule of thumb” that anything over 700 feet, it was advisable to visually inspect, check plumb/ tension once per year and conduct detailed inspection and a PE stamped report every three years. Unless you perform major improvements to the very structure as a life extending investment, it is *not* a capital project. I have had to argue these same issues with upper management and the winning assertion was, ”be aware that every cent of your cash-flow goes through that tower and if it collapses; your cash stops flowing because all of your viewers/listeners will switch to the competitors signal in less than 6-seconds. Hell! You might even have to refund advertisers money …..” You might also want to advise them that going back up is not a simple task with all the environmental, zoning and hostile neighbors issues it could take years. After that, you have done your due diligence and the ball is in their court.
Good luck and let us know how it comes out.
w/
 
Thank you everyone. This is all great information, and it will help me argue my point. Thank you Walt, that really puts it into perspective for me, and I have no choice but to inform not only corporate, but local management as well, that like 'em or not, these are the consequences you are dealing with. You would think that corporate would be the ones pushing the issue, but they are not. That tells you right there how seriously they (don't) take their radio station division. Oh, but bottom lines and revenue...?

Someone was wondering how long it has been since an inspection or painting may have taken place on some of the towers before I began employment with the company. Well one of the first things I did after being hired, was hunt down and organize every bit of info I could find relating to the towers. I am under the impression that no inspection (plumb, tension, etc.) or painting has taken place on one of the towers, since it was erected in 2001. We no longer broadcast from that tower, as it went from being a main site, to a backup site, until the frequency was sold. The new owners never picked it up for a backup site, although it is talked about every once in awhile. But we also have 2 cell renters/carriers on the tower, bringing in a substantial monthly rate. Of course we are still responsible for monitoring tower lights and maintaining the tower. While it is now available, I am constantly trying to turn it into a backup site for one of our current frequencies, which has no backup. And even though it technically could be done, corporate is not budging. I am also concerned for this tower, because it has so much cell tower antenna coax going up on the outside of the tower, which was never painted the colors of the tower, and that (IMO) could be considered an FCC violation and possible safety hazard. Although since there is no longer a co-located radio station at the site, I'm wondering if the FCC would ever stop by for an inspection of just the tower site.

I'll have to get back to you on the other two towers. Since I don't immediately recall the last date of inspection or painting. But I know it is longer than 5 years ago, and that doesn't sit well with me.

For ten years I was with a company (you would know them) that allowed me the luxury of doing a tower inspection every year with. In that time, I don't ever remember the question being asked of me, from the insurance company, how often tower inspections were taking place. I was asked every year what a replacement cost would be, if it came down though. But the frequency of a tower inspection question was never filtered through to me.

I'm getting the feeling at my company (maybe at yours too), that website advertising and development is now taking on more of a focus and priority than most of the hardware and infrastructure that supports the on-air radio stations. I realize it is my job to reinforce the issue, in addition to keeping everything running 24/7/365, but sometimes it gets a little exhausting.
 
Brian, Many of us have been in the same position as you so there is much emphathy on this board for your situation. Good luck.

Watt, I in no way meant that observations from a tower climber/bulb changer (and I say that with great respect since that is a job I would not do!) was a substitute for a real tower inspection. My point was that Brian seemed to be wanting to do yearly tower inspections and corporate didnt. As an owner (200' and 400'), I would question the need for that too. While not an engineer, the climber is up close and personal with the tower and his comments about the condition of the tower at heights should carry a lot of weight for Brian to back up his request.
 
If I may, Watt, is the Diamond-Cantilever design more prone to needing structural maintenance than a standard 24- or 36-inch triangular cross-sectional tower? It seems to me that it would, but I've not thought to ask.
 
PTBoardOp94 said:
If I may, Watt, is the Diamond-Cantilever design more prone to needing structural maintenance than a standard 24- or 36-inch triangular cross-sectional tower? It seems to me that it would, but I've not thought to ask.
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Very old, Yes!!
 
Nostalgia said:
Brian, Many of us have been in the same position as you so there is much emphathy on this board for your situation. Good luck.

Watt, I in no way meant that observations from a tower climber/bulb changer (and I say that with great respect since that is a job I would not do!) was a substitute for a real tower inspection. My point was that Brian seemed to be wanting to do yearly tower inspections and corporate didnt. As an owner (200' and 400'), I would question the need for that too. While not an engineer, the climber is up close and personal with the tower and his comments about the condition of the tower at heights should carry a lot of weight for Brian to back up his request.
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I agree and my apologies, I didn't mean to be critical. In fact, I have had lamp changers discover MAJOR issues missed by the "trained" eyes. I have seen some companies offer inspections and reports with out professional credentials.
best/

w/
 
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