How to choose guy wire for meeting power and Utility Needs

• Guy wire also known as stay wire is used to stabilize tension cables in power gird systems.
• Guy wires can be used with other power line fittings such as dead end grips, stay rods and so on.
• Choose TTF Electric Power Technology Co., Ltd to meet your power and utility needs. We can also provide customized service based on your drawings and specifications.

Guy wire, also known as stay wire, is used to brace, guide or secure power line structures like utility poles and transmission towers. At TTF, we produce high-tensile steel strands with great break strength and excellent service life. Our hot-dip galvanized wire must pass quality inspections before shipping, ensuring the coating thickness matches industrial standards.

They are mostly used in broadcasting, power systems, communications and radio towers. The guy wires can be used with other fittings that help to complete the installations and these include guy thimble, guy clamp, guy grip, pole band, dead end grip, stay rod, stay insulators and turnbuckles. These fittings help to avoid loose connections that in turn prevent electric shocks and flowing of the overhead lines components.

In this article, we are going to talk about guy wire buying principles. Follow our website to get more useful information.

Table of Contents

• The definition of guy wire
• Fittings used with the guy wire
• Types of guy wires
• Features of a good guy wire
• Guy Wires installation guide
• Chinese manufacturer of power line hardware-guy wire
• FAQs

The definition of guy wire

Guy wires are the tensioned cables, ropes or wires that are used to offer support to the high standing structures to prevent them from breaking, bending or falling. Guy wires are stiffer than other types of wires or cables that provide more security and stability to the tall structures. They are mostly used in broadcasting, telecommunications, power systems, wind turbines and radio towers. The original name of the guy wire was “gei”, named by the Dutch who used it to support shipping masts when sailing.

Fittings used with the guy wire

The guy wire is used with other various fittings to complete the proper installations and to provide stability to the antennas, towers and other utility structures. These fittings help to secure and brace all the overhead installations to prevent loose connections. These structures are as discussed below.

• Dead end grip-The dead end grip involves of the guy wire dead end grips, preformed dead end grip used on the conductor and preformed grip. The guy wire installations are done on the end poles while the guy wire preforms are used on the anchor rod or insulator to achieve the setting of the pole.
• Guy grip-The guy grip has legs formed using the gravels on each turn that maintains the messenger conductor wire or fiber optic cable securely. It is also known as preformed guy grip which is used to connect and grip grounding cable, the conductor and the optical fiber program.
• Guy clamp-The guy clamp is used on the communication line along with the stay wire and anchor rod to generate pole steadily. The grooves of the guy lock the stay wire and the bolt will secure two pieces of guy clamp clamping the stay wire.
• Guy thimble-This is also called cable thimble and it is available on the electric power line or dead end pole line. It connects using all the preformed tension clamps to help maintain the ADSS and the OPGW cable.
• Pole band-The pole band incorporates a single offset pole band and a double offset pole band. There are different pole bands for utility poles, telephone poles and cable poles.
• Shackles-These are used for connecting wire rope, chain and slings. The shackles can be used in high voltage electrical lines.
• Stay insulator-An insulator used at a stay wire is at high pressure so that the tension on the cable is transformed into a force. This helps to prevent current from flowing to the unwanted places.
• Stay rods-The stay rods are used with the guy wires in tower construction and electric poles at the linked part to prevent them from falling under stress.
• Turnbuckles-The turnbuckles are used pull together or push apart the guy anchors. It is also used to amend the tension or length of the rope.

Types of guy wires

The guy wires are categorized according to the type of stranding that is used to make the wire or rope. The major stranding for the guying products are mainly two types which is 1*7 stranding and 1*19 stranding. These stranding have one major core for added stability.

• 1*7 stranding – these are made of galvanized steel and it is used in guying applications such as towers, antenna and other tall structures that are placed from the top to the ground. They include the use of seven strands that are twisted together to make the rope. They should be installed or used in areas where rare bending will occur.
• 1*19 stranding – these are also galvanized strands that are also used in guying the free, high- standing structures. The galvanized steel helps to prevent corrosion and rust. They use the twisting of the nineteen strands to make the guy wire with one central core. They have lower breaking strength than the seven strand wires. They are also used in supporting and adding stability to the antenna, towers and other tall structures.

Features of a good guy wire

The guy wire can be divided into various divisions that help to describe the best guy wire. These are as discussed below. Other features of a good guy wire state that it should be lightweight, have good design, have a little stretch, should be durable and have high break strengths to withstand great tension.

• Material — the materials used to make the guy wires are important in assisting them to be durable by resisting different weather conditions. The materials should be pure and quality steel and should be coated by zinc.
• Stranding — the wire strands should be covered in the wires known as 7-wire of 19-wire strands.
• Tension and design — the guy wire should have a high tensile strength that helps it to prevent breaking and be resistant to all weather conditions that allow it to increase the life of the guy wire.
• Weight of the coating — the guy wires should be coated in zinc and the weight is determined by the evaluation based the various test methods.
• Finish — the zinc-coated wire is free of flaws not consistent with good commercial practice. The zinc coating is constant and of reasonably uniform thickness.

Guy Wires installation guide

Guy wires are not complicated when installing but it should be done by a professional to make it effective. It should be done from the top of the pole going down and not any other way. The guy wire is fitted on top of the pole with a guy ring and a clamp, wrap the wire several rounds to avoid unravelling.

Anchor your wires at a 45 degree angle from the pole to the ground. This helps in balancing the weight from the pole. Using the turnbuckles, you can rotate them and fix them and your installation is done.

Chinese manufacturer of power line hardware-guy wire

Utility pole guy wire is a commonly used power line hardware used in power grid systems. Choose TTF as your supplier because we have three big factories in Hebei Province, China. In addition, we have over 20 years experience of producing line materials and sell products to Africa, South America, South Asia as well as over 30 foreign countries and regions. We not only develop for inland trade in China, but also make great endeavor to explore foreign market.

TTF aims to fill the overseas utility industry with affordable and high-quality power hardware. TTF started in Renqiu City, Hebei Province, near the Chinese capital Beijing. As a distributor-level direct export supplier of overhead line hardware, power pole accessories, conductors and a series of power transmission and distribution line accessories. This combination of products brought a unique offering to the utility and electrical wholesale industries in the Americas, Africa, Southeast Asia and more. TTF was also one of the first Chinese companies to initialize OBM, ODM and OEM for most of its clients. Their clients quickly realized the value of the TTF product and developed fully from the close and friendly cooperation with TTF, long before Made in China became mainstream as it is today.

TTF has established itself and continues as a world-class global supplier of high quality pole line hardware, overhead line steel structures, insulators, anchoring products, cutout switches, cables & conductors and grounding products. Our capacity and capability, combined with its commitment to meet the ever changing needs of its customers, has created relationships that have spanned nearly 20 years and will continue to foster those relationships far into the future.