| This design intended to provide broadcast television to the metropolitan area, replacing the antenna lost with the collapse of the World Trade Center. The primary challenge of this project was to utilize a system, which minimizes the amount of area and material needed. A composite system provided an ideal solution. The 2000 foot tall tower’s design theory is borrowed from sail mast technology. A guyed system utilizes resisting forces in compression that are stabilized by elements placed in tension. Utilizing an integrated cable and crown solution improved the overall strength and stiffness with less material. The tower’s core tapers significantly, reducing the influence of high altitude winds. A 30-foot tall compression truss caps the core. The compression ring allows for the tension cables to exist in equilibrium, transferring tension directly to the core. Cable stays braced at the middle and top create a passive intelligent exoskeleton system that activates and becomes stiffer as the wind blows. The out rigger effect of the cable system drastically reduced the rotation at the top of the tower. The presence of the cables eliminated the need for internal post-tensioning. The cable system broadened the stance of the structure without attracting the wind load that a solid structure would. |
