At Shapemaker, the structural analysis of telecommunication towers is performed in accordance with the requirements set by European standards known as Eurocodes. However, each country’s regulatory body has the right to introduce modifications to these standards within the defined scope of the codes, and these national adaptations take precedence within their respective territories.
While these modifications can cover a broad range of guidelines, in the context of telecom structures, the most critical adjustments relate to wind load calculations and their combinations. Local annexes often draw on historical standards that were in use for decades before the introduction of Eurocodes. As a result, crossing a national border can significantly alter the wind load results, due to changes in basic wind speed, terrain roughness classifications, and even the methodology itself, as seen in the UK or Germany.
At Shapemaker, we automatically determine a wide array of parameters that can vary significantly between countries. For instance, in the UK, we calculate the distance from the shoreline and town edge (when required) for each nominal wind direction. In Finland, our system automatically assigns one of seven terrain categories, including an assessment of water bodies that might influence wind speed amplification.
To date, we have implemented local annexes for seven countries: Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Hungary. We continue to expand Shapemaker’s capabilities to support additional national standards.
Furthermore, our users can import custom wind profiles for all nominal wind directions. With a bit of initiative, this means users can even analyse towers in countries not yet officially supported by our system.
Want to learn more about how Shapemaker can streamline your structural analysis workflow? Visit our website, request a demo, or just give us a call—we’d love to hear from you! Contact us at hello@shapemaker.io
