In the cellular communication industry, things are really looking up.

In Dedham, Mass., AT&T Wireless targeted a site atop the three-story Pilgrim Health Care office building. GRIP STRUT® Rooftop Walkways from GS METALS CORP.. made the rooftop arrangement possible.

AT&T chose the site because of its proximity to Interstate 95, the highway connecting Dedham to nearby Boston. Many cellular customers travel this stretch, and a site was needed to ensure a quality digital signal.

"The Pilgrim Health Care building is more of a horizontal location, as opposed to a vertical one," said Rich Lindsay, GS Metals District Manager who serviced the project. "In contrast to other sites, Pilgrim Health Care isn't very high."

"This rooftop antenna location not only improves sound quality, but also provides extra money to the building owners and cuts costs and hassles associated with the building of a new tower," Lindsay said.

Cellular cables are clamped to PVC tubing and run around the roof perimeter. GRIP STRUT® planks, equipped with durable, turned-down side channels, span the tubing to create a secure walkway across the roof and above the cables. GRIP STRUT® has a long span ability, so additional supports are not needed.

Characteristics of GRIP STRUT®

GS Metals GRIP STRUT® Safety Grating (the original safety grating) features a unique serrated surface providing slip protection under practically all environmental conditions. GRIP STRUT® is ideal for surfaces where mud, ice or snow creates slippery or hazardous conditions. The open design lets liquids and air pass through to keep the grating clear and prevent wind lift.

Before safety grating walkways were specified as rooftop walkway systems, solid steel troughs with solid covers encased the PVC square tubing that held the cables. The major problem with solid trough was that it collected extreme heat during sunny weather. Also, the troughs were smooth and slippery and weren't safe for maintenance personnel who had to walk on them. In contrast, GRIP STRUT® features an aggressive surface that provides traction in every type of weather, while still protecting the cables and rooftop surface.

GS Metals fabricated a special configuration for the rooftop to make GRIP STRUT® easy to install. The walkways have a turned-down side channel instead of the standard toeplate, which is turned upward. To take stress off the roof surface, the channels bear the weight of anyone walking on the planks.

"GRIP STRUT® works perfectly for this type of application," said Dave Ragsdale, Construction Manager for Ericsson, Inc., the prime contractor in the construction of the rooftop site. "It protects the cables, protects the roof, and protects the people walking on the roof."

This GRIP STRUT® configuration, a special 27-inch-wide rooftop walkway, is becoming standard for cellular rooftop sites.

Hundreds of more cellular rooftop sites will be constructed in the next year on the East Coast, Lindsay said. The trend is developing on the West Coast as well, where space for free-standing towers is limited.