Carbon fibre grid towers provide a cost effective solution

Carbon fibre grid towers provide a cost effective solution

With the rapid growth in demand for 5G connectivity, tower construction in the US is expected to reach $30 billion over the next five years, and global construction is expected to be even higher. on 15 November, IsoTruss, a provider of engineering, design and manufacturing services, announced the launch of its patented IsoTruss® carbon fibre grid tower, designed to reduce initial cost outlay for telecoms infrastructure providers, reducing labour and transportation and installation costs to enable the rapid and more sustainable deployment of 5G technology.

Twelve times stronger than a steel frame and 1/12th the weight of a steel tower, the lightweight IsoTruss® carbon fibre grid towers are available in heights ranging from 6m to 42m and are suitable for addressing 'distance' issues in 5G rollouts, particularly in sites with weight constraints and zoning considerations, such as rooftops in densely populated urban environments, and rural areas where 'last mile access' is required.

IsoTruss® carbon fibre lattice towers offer flexibility and modularity in structural design due to their extremely high strength-to-weight ratio, even over other composite structures. Composite materials are generally lighter than steel, wood and aluminium, but the integration with the IsoTruss® grid tower structure (which requires less carbon fibre material to manufacture) makes it even lighter, depending on the design of the site and its specifications.

Due to the very low weight of the IsoTruss® structure, transport costs, labour and installation costs are also lower compared to steel towers, and the carbon footprint of the tower is reduced by up to 70%, taking into account the service life and the environmental impact of the production, delivery and installation of new (replacement) towers, as well as the reduced cycle time and heavy equipment required to install the lighter IsoTruss® grid tower.

Cromwell Wong, COO of IsoTrussInc. said that as steel prices rise, IsoTruss® carbon fibre grid towers are getting closer to parity in comparative terms and the company is producing designs with truly lightweight, ultra-strong, environmentally friendly solutions designed to build the sustainable infrastructure of the future. Market conditions associated with the development of 5G technology coupled with rapidly changing climatic conditions are driving infrastructure decision makers to place greater emphasis on tower maintainability, and IsoTruss® offers significant advantages over steel construction, as well as a significant reduction in carbon emissions.

The original IsoTruss® grid design, based on the isosceles triangle and invented by Dr David W. Jensen, IsoTruss® Chief Technical Advisor and Professor Emeritus at Brigham Young University, IsoTruss® combines high performance carbon fibre composites with an efficient geometry that allows these elements to effectively to carry loads, resulting in extremely light and high performance.

The IsoTruss® carbon fibre grid tower was designed by the company's team of innovative engineers, all graduates of Brigham Young University or the University of Utah's Fulton School of Engineering. With the unique geometry of the IsoTruss® grid structure, there is greater freedom and flexibility to customise the IsoTruss® grid tower to customer specifications.The IsoTruss® grid structure is modular in design, can be optionally painted and does not require electrolysis. Flame-retardant resin and lightning rods can also be customised to allow any lightning to reach the ground quickly and straight away.

IsoTruss® carbon fibre lattice towers are designed, manufactured and tested to last at least five times longer than steel towers. In contrast, steel towers must be replaced more frequently due to corrosion and other environmental factors, e.g. steel towers located in coastal areas with high humidity typically have a life expectancy of 5 years, and in other areas with lower humidity, compared to 25 years for carbon fibre grid towers.

In environmental terms, carbon fibre reduces CO2 emissions more than steel. By using composite materials instead of steel in communication towers, CO2 emissions can be reduced by 70% or more over the lifetime of the tower.

In October 2020, Sojitz Corporation of Japan announced an investment in IsoTruss through a third-party share placement. The business is working with Sojitz to accelerate the expansion of its telecoms infrastructure business mainly in Asia.