Contracted to design a telecommunications installation at St. John’s Lutheran Church in a residential section of northeast Philadelphia. Cellular antennas were already installed in the bell tower windows behind screening, so an extension of the tower was needed. Our professionals coordinated the design of the tower extension with the fabricator, designed the attachment of the extension to the existing structure, and designed the equipment area at grade.

We also performed a structural analysis of the existing structure incorporating the proposed loading from the extension. The extension consists of steel and Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) members. Unlike concrete and steel, FRP does not hinder the transmission of radio frequency waves. FRP was used to create the exterior of the extension and shield the antennas and associated equipment from view. This allows the carrier to construct a site in a residential area without a negative visual impact.