Anchor Corrosion Reference Material
The following reference materials are useful in understanding why corrosion is a problem on tower anchors and why the AnchorGuard® system is the best solution.
Understanding and Preventing Guyed Tower Failure Due to Anchor Shaft Corrosion
By Craig Synder, President of Sioux Falls Tower Specialists, Inc
Towers have been popularly used to support various antenna systems since the 1940s with very little attention given to corrosion of buried tower components. Many tower facilities are coming of age and the problem of anchor shaft corrosion is now becoming an industry issue.
This paper analyzes the causes of anchor shaft corrosion and gives the means of protecting existing and future towers against the catastrophic effects of corrosion. We have broken the paper into the following sections for easier browsing. If you'd rather download this paper as a PDF file, click here.
Surface and Subsurface inspection guidelines.
Anchor Inspection Standard
Action Plan Flow Charts
To assist in determining appropriate plan of action to protect anchors.
Flow Chart - Existing Towers
Flow Chart - With Inspection
Corrosion Severity Factor
When doing tower inspections, make sure to take a look at the Corrosion Severity Factor descriptions and photos. They will help you access the severity of your anchor corrosion.
Tower Failure from Anchor Corrosion
Technical Bulletin
Specifications
These specifications give you the specifics on implementing industry standards and determining which guyed towers need AnchorGuard.
Sample Spec
The following wording is suitable to include in tower specifications for a new tower. Please feel free to copy and paste this wording into your own specs if you're using AnchorGuard®.
Specification:
Galvanic Anode Cathodic Protection: In addition to the protection afforded by galvanizing, each anchor rod location shall be further protected by a galvanic anode cathodic protection system specifically designed for tower guy anchors; with a minimum of two magnesium sacrificial anodes and a monitoring system at each anchor point. Sacrificial anodes shall be placed in a cotton bag surrounded by a gypsum, bentonite and sodium sulfate mixture to assist in the activation of current flow and ensure that moisture remains about the area of the anode. A wire shall be attached to the inner core of each anode and electrically bonded to the associated anchor rod. The monitoring system shall be capable of providing anchor to reference cell potential readings and system current output readings. Installation and testing of the galvanic anode cathodic protection system shall be in accordance with the system manufacturer's instructions.
Installation
AnchorGuard® Installation Instructions
