The past 20 years of telecommunication structures in Portugal

This paper reviews the analysis and design of telecommunication structures and presents the main problems observed for various types of structures. The nation of Portugal is selected for a case study, and more specifically, the evolution of Portuguese structural design standards for telecommunications systems is summarised using comparative analyses that cover a subset of the most relevant topics for design, including wind profiles, drag coefficients, dynamic effects and reliability classes. These analyses focus on characterisation of the effects of wind action, which plays a fundamental role in the behaviour and design of these structures. Following the comparative analyses of standards, the more common problems observed over the past 20 years in guyed masts and towers located in Portugal are presented and discussed.

► A comparison is developed between the former Portuguese standard RSA and Eurocodes.
► The differences of wind action are discussed for telecommunication structures.
► The most common problems observed in telecommunication structures are presented.
► The causes for the problems commonly observed are discussed.