| Author |
Message |
David Axt, AIA, CCS, CSI
Senior Member
Username: david_axt
Post Number: 1098
Registered: 03-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, June 24, 2010 - 01:09 pm: |    |
Has anyone had issues with metal building components (wall panels, roofing, rebar, structural steel, steel decking, etc.) shielding cell phone and emergency radio communication? |
Marc C Chavez
Senior Member
Username: mchavez
Post Number: 385
Registered: 07-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, June 24, 2010 - 01:14 pm: | |
Mr Faraday built a cage for that express purpose in 1836. |
Mark Gilligan SE,
Senior Member
Username: mark_gilligan
Post Number: 288
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, June 24, 2010 - 01:40 pm: | |
The high frequencies used for cell phones and much emergency radio communications are primarily line of sight. Thus concrete or steel will tend to degrade or block the signals. |
David Axt, AIA, CCS, CSI
Senior Member
Username: david_axt
Post Number: 1099
Registered: 03-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, June 24, 2010 - 01:53 pm: | |
It is my understanding is that Low E glass will also block cell phone and radio signals. |
J. Peter Jordan
Senior Member
Username: jpjordan
Post Number: 427
Registered: 05-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 24, 2010 - 02:29 pm: | |
Since many, many glass coatings are metallic (of various metals, in many cases more than one), I would not be surprised to learn this in principle; however, I have never heard of its being a problem. |
ken hercenberg
Senior Member
Username: khercenberg
Post Number: 54
Registered: 12-2006
| | Posted on Friday, June 25, 2010 - 05:35 pm: | |
David, are you looking for building materials that don't block the signals? I had some success with a plastic panel that was specifically engineered for similar purposes but can't put my hands on the manufacturer. The installation called for a means of screening a large antennae used for some sort of radio transmitting and a series of satellite dishes, I presume used to receive and transmit data, on top of a high rise office building. These were located in a highly visible area near the front of the building, a Class A office tower, so aesthetics were important. It came out looking pretty good, but I don't know how well it has weathered. We designed the installation to allow easy access and sized the panels and framing to permit easy replacement from the roof level so all we needed was to run the freight elevator to the roof. The installation was pretty weather-tight, not thermal, but that wasn't a requirement. It just had to let the signals through and not look too bad sitting a few hundred feet up from ground level.
Has anyone else run used this type of product? |
J. Peter Jordan
Senior Member
Username: jpjordan
Post Number: 428
Registered: 05-2004
| | Posted on Friday, June 25, 2010 - 07:46 pm: | |
I specified it for a high-rise multi-family project where we hid some cell phone antennae high up on the building. |
Mark Gilligan SE,
Senior Member
Username: mark_gilligan
Post Number: 290
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Saturday, June 26, 2010 - 12:54 am: | |
If you are interested in minimizing the disruption you should probably be talking to a communications engineer who is familiar with radio propogation.
If you want cell phone access in some locations I believe that it is possible to install micro-cells which provide points of connection within the building. Here again I believe that you want to be talking to a communications engineer with expertise in cell phone systems. I believe Motorola and AT&T have products. |
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