Currently, here in the United States, there is an ongoing effort to expand cell phone and data coverage to satisfy American's insatiable appetite for mobile network access anywhere at any time. This requires the major telecommunication companies to constantly build out their networks; one of the primary components in doing this is erecting additional cell phone towers across the land. The upside is this gives us increased signal strength and bandwidth but the unfortunate downside is the visible eyesore it creates that can potentially ruin landscapes. To combat this, one creative measure the telecommunication companies have adopted is to disguise or camouflage the cell towers, as various types of trees, helping them to better blend into their surroundings. Pines, palms and eucalyptus are the most popular due to their ubiquitous nature (depending on climate and environment) and they are also the easiest to accurately replicate due to their basic branching structure and tree bark pattern. The main monopole and branch insertion pipes are made of hot-dip galvanized steel, then a complex process using epoxy, plastic, fiberglass and acrylic is used to create the artificial branches, bark, needles, leaves and foliage which are then applied and adhered to the cell tower before final installation. (The process is customized on a tower by tower basis based on needs of local zoning requirements)

The hot-dip galvanizers biggest hurdle in galvanizing this assembly was the special handling that was required due to the design of the main curved units that all have smaller 1 1/2" diameter branch insertion pipes fabricated to them at various angles.These smaller pipes have tight tolerances that are critical for the final installation of the camouflaging, artificial Eucalyptus branches. This demanded careful and methodical maneuvering throughout the entire process and also of paramount importance was the re-loading of the material back onto a truck using specifically constructed wooden dunnage that protects the aforementioned insertion pipes from damage during transportation. In addition, proper vent and drain hole placement was needed giving the hot-dip galvanizer multiple ways to hang the various configurations of the assembly to achieve the best possible finish with minimal clean-up. After the material was returned to the fabricator the malleable Eta layer of the hot-dipped galvanized surface was thoroughly etched before beginning the time consuming task of adding the unique tree façade over it, hence transforming basically a utilitarian antenna structure into a natural looking, colorful work of art that blends seamlessly into the surrounding environment.

The need for additional cell towers throughout the United States (for at least the conceivable future) is an undeniable necessity, keeping all of us connected in an ever-more technologically advanced, inter-connected world. We, in the hot-dip galvanizing industry, are extremely proud to be such a major contributor in extending the service life of this constantly expanding, sprawling web of cell tower infrastructure, helping to keep it corrosion-free for many decades to come.