How do base station antennas survive hurricanes? The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind.
There were 27 individual weather and climate disasters in 2024 with $1 billion or more in damages – following a record-setting 2023 with 28 such events in the US. Wireless communications between family members, first responders, disaster relief workers, and infrastructure repair personnel become mission-critical. The stakes are high. In this article, we dive into the wind loading of base station antennas, a key parameter of their ability to survive storms and extreme wind conditions.
Wind Loading
When the wind blows, an antenna experiences a force pushing against it. The stronger the wind, the stronger the force. The larger the antenna, the stronger the force. The equation describing the force acting on the antenna is:
F = 0.5 * ρ * V² * Cd * A
F is the wind force
ρ is the air density (the humid air of tropical storms is loaded with moisture)
V is the wind speed (this term is squared, so it has a dominant effect)
Cd is the antenna drag coefficient, a measure of aerodynamic efficiency (i.e. its shape)
A is the cross-sectional area of the antenna directly facing the wind (i.e. its size)
Industry Standards
The air density (ρ) and wind speed (V) are design parameters for operational and survival limits, which generally depend on local conditions and building codes. In the US, the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) sets the national standard with ANSI/TIA-222-H. This was updated in 2018 to align with the American Society of Civil Engineers standard, ASCE-7, for gust wind speeds, seismic loading, and other specifications. The Next Generation Mobile Networks Alliance (NGMN) also publishes the BASTA guidelines to standardize how electrical and mechanical parameters of antennas are specified.
In the United States, base station antennas are generally rated to survive storm wind speeds up to 150mph. South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and Colorado are known for high average wind speeds. Expansive, flat plains provide few natural obstacles to slow the wind, while mountain ranges can accelerate air currents. Florida is in the path of many hurricanes emanating from the Gulf of Mexico every year, so highly durable antennas are required.
Source: NOAA Climate.gov
Japan Experiences Extreme Wind Loading
Japan frequently experiences major earthquakes and typhoons, by virtue of the fact that the island nation is situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire tectonic belt and in the Northwest Pacific Typhoon Alley, where the planet’s most powerful tropical cyclones are born. As a result, Japan has some of the strictest building codes in the world.
Dengyo has supplied antennas to the Japanese market for 70 years, and our antennas are built to withstand Japan’s extreme weather events. Wind speed survivability is rated to 200mph, higher than the 150 mph in the US. To meet these high standards, Dengyo’s antenna designs feature slimmer panel widths and aerodynamic contours to reduce drag. Our build quality is second to none, with RMA rates among the lowest in the industry.
For more information on Dengyo’s base station antenna portfolio, please visit https://dengyousa.com/antenna/