While searching for caches in and around town, one cannot help noticing the “disguised” cell phone towers that blend into the surrounding. When people started complaining about the unsightly towers popping up all over the Towns and Cities, the cellular companies decided to develop a more environmental friendly tower.
Did you know that Cell phone towers being disguised as trees, also known as clean solution masts, is the brainchild (co-inventor)of outh African telecommunications engineer Ivo Lazic, and is now used worldwide to hide these unsightly towers.
In an interview with Ivo Lazic by the financial mail, dated July 2006 he said.
"My colleague Aubrey Thomas and I wondered how we would solve the problem of ugly masts and angry people. I had about 200 palm trees in my garden in Kyalami and noticed they were a similar shape to the masts we were erecting," Lazic says. "When we first discussed making cellphone masts with glass fibre trunks and plastic leaves our contractors thought we were crazy." “Sixty days after the "palm trees" were invented, the first mast was erected in Durbanville, Cape Town. “We rolled out one after another; environmentalists and the authorities loved them." The towers have also been exported to Australia, Greece, Italy, Tahiti, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, among others. "We've developed trees to suit the different landscapes," Lazic says. For example, the Arabic date palm is exported to the Middle East and even comes with its own set of dates.
Various Types of disguised towers.
PHOENIX DACTILIFERA PALM POLE TOWER:
The Phoenix Dactilifera or Date Palm, well known since ancient times, was regarded by the Egyptians as a symbol of fertility as it was even used on coins and monuments in these regions. Its name reflects the ancient origins of this magnificent tree, supposed to have been spread by the Phoenicians themselves. Today these palms are native to North Africa and are extensively cultivated in Arabia up to the Persian Gulf. They are also prolific in the Canary Islands, Northern Mediterranean and in the Southern States of the US. This imposing palm with a very slender trunk of up to 30m tall is conspicuously covered with the remains of sheaths from fallen leaves. Its leaves, clustered together in a maximum number of 20 – 30 and forming a loose crown shaft, are pinnate, up to 6m long, upper leaves are ascending, basal leaves are re-curved, the segments are coriaceous, linear, rigid and sharp pointed, blue-green in colour. Cultivars of this palm produce the finest edible dates. They used this elegant natural palm to model their camouflaged tower for arid and semi-arid regions. The steel shaft is fabricated from high grade steel and galvanized according to ISO standards. The bark, moulded from glass fibre and resin, is fixed over the inner steel trunk, hand coloured and is textured to ensure perfect realism and a high quality finish that is natural in appearance, even from close up. The fronds are fabricated from special to type materials tested to ensure durability, realism in appearance and minimum RF attenuation as they camouflage the cellular and microwave antennas.
COCOS PLUMOSA PALM POLE TOWER:
The Cocos Plumosa, also commonly known as the “Queen Palm” originates in Brazil and it has been successfully cultivated across the globe in warmer climates. This magnificent palm is an ideal natural specimen which they have used as a model for the design and construction of their camouflaged tower. By meticulously following nature in finishing the tower to resemble the Cocos Plumosa, the company has managed to create a highly versatile multi-carrier camouflaged structure ideally suited to temperate, subtropical and tropical environments. The monopole and steel sections are fabricated from high quality steel which is galvanized according to ISO standards. The "bark" is created by Surface Manipulation using special colourants and coatings which are applied to the steel trunk. The natural colours ensure durability, realism and a high quality finish. The palm fronds are manufactured from materials that allow for minimum RF attenuation and serve to camouflage the cellular and microwave antennas from view. The tower is designed to be internally climbable with doors at the bottom and top of the structure. A generous working platform and antenna mounting area at the top of the tower ensure ease of installation and maintenance of antennas.
FOXTAIL PALM POLE TOWER
The Foxtail Palm or Wodyetia Bifurcata, comes from Queensland, Australia and is prized by palm enthusiasts and landscapers for its slender trunk and neat appearance, especially the arching crown of light green fronds which, as the name suggests, gives the palm’s foliage the appearance of a fox’s tail as it sways in the breeze. The Foxtail Palm is now one of the world’s most popular landscape palms. Following nature’s example they have used the Foxtail Palm to fashion a camouflaged antenna support structure suitable for subtropical and tropical landscapes. The ideal height for the Foxtail is 12m; however, the structure is still aesthetically pleasing at 25m. The “trunk” of the palm is fabricated from high quality steel and galvanized in accordance with ISO standards. The “bark” is moulded from fibre glass and resin and is hand coloured and hued to achieve a natural, high quality finish that stands up to close scrutiny. Alternatively, the steel surface is painted using a technique called Surface Manipulation. This structure is most suited to urban settings, where a natural garden appearance is desirable and is aesthetically pleasing. The unsightly GSM and microwave antennas are camouflaged by the crown of green fronds, yet minimal RF shielding is obtained by using special to type materials in the fabrication of the fronds. All cables run down the inside of the “trunk” to ensure a natural appearance.
PHOENIX RECLINATA PALM POLE TOWER
The Phoenix Reclinata or African Wild Date Palm is found in open forests, savannah, woodland or low scrub thickets all over Africa. This palm is used by landscapers in garden and park settings across the globe in warm to moderate climates. This elegant, slender palm is an ideal model on which they have based their camouflaged structure. The "trunk" is made from high quality steel, galvanized to ISO specifications. The "bark" is moulded from fibre glass and resin and is hand coloured and moulded to achieve a natural, high quality finish that stands up to close scrutiny. Alternatively, the steel surface is painted using a technique called Surface Manipulation. This structure is most suited to urban settings, where a natural garden appearance is desirable and is aesthetically pleasing. The cellular antennas are camouflaged by the crown of green fronds, yet minimal RF shielding is obtained by using special to type materials in the fabrication of the palm fronds. All cables run down the inside of the trunk to ensure a natural appearance.
YELLOWWOOD TREE POLE TOWER
The Yellowwood or Podocarpus Latifolius family of trees is primeval and has been in existence in Southern Africa for more than 100 million years. The Yellowwood is the National Tree of South Africa. It is widespread, ranging from Table Mountain, along the Southern and Eastern Cape coast, in ravines of the Drakensberg up to the Soutpansberg and the Blouberg in the Northern Province. In forests it can grow up to 40 meters tall; in contrast, trees that grow in unsheltered places like mountain slopes are shorter and with less foliage. The bark of the tree is khaki-coloured to grey, and the crown foliage is relatively small in relation to the tree height. This stately, decorative tree is an ideal specimen which they have used to model their camouflaged structure on. By meticulously following nature in finishing the tower to closely resemble the Yellowwood Tree, thy have managed to create a highly versatile multi-carrier structure able to blend in with nature across wide areas of Southern Africa. The monopole and steel sections are fabricated from high quality steel which is galvanized according t ISO standards. The “bark” is created by Surface Manipulation using special colourants and coatings which are applied to the steel trunk. The natural colours ensure durability, realism and a high quality finish. The foliage is manufactured from materials that allow for minimum RF attenuation and serve to camouflage the cellular and microwave antennas from view. The tower is designed to be internally climbable with doors at the bottom and top of the structure. A generous working platform and antenna mounting area at the top of the tower ensure ease of installation and maintenance of antennas.
PINE TREE POLE TOWER .
The Pine Tree or Pinus is an evergreen conifer, with pine needles instead of leaves. It is considered to be one of the oldest tree types existing and is referred to as the “Mother Tree”. Brolaz has chosen the Pinus Taeda (Loblolly Pine) to model this tower on. Following nature very closely, we have created a stunning tree that adds an imposing feature to most natural settings. The monopole (or trunk) and steel sections are fabricated from the highest quality steel which is galvanized according to ISO standards. The "bark" is created by Surface Manipulation using specialized colourants and coatings which are applied to the steel shaft. The realistic natural colours further ensure that high durability and top quality finish are achieved. The pine needles and branches are manufactured from specialized materials that allow for minimum RF attenuation and serve to camouflage the cellular and microwave antennas from view. The tower is designed to be internally climbable with concealed doors at the bottom and top of the structure. A generous working platform and antenna mounting area at the top of the tower ensure ease of installation and maintenance of antennas.
CYPRESS TREE POLE TOWER .
The Cypress Tree or Cupressus Sempervirens, is generally a flame-shaped, tapering cone-like tree, with a very short stem or trunk visible below its branches. The branches rise erectly and close to the trunk. The branches divide repeatedly and approximately in a single plane, forming frond-like sprays. The small overlapping leaves are smooth and shiny in shades of green. This tree originates in the Mediterranean and is successfully grown all over the world. Brolaz has used this stately tree on which to model its camouflaged tower for Mediterranean regions. The steel shaft is made from high grade steel, galvanized to ISO standards. The leaves are designed to closely resemble nature, and are fitted into the trunk by means of metal stalks and corresponding pockets. This ensures an appearance that is aesthetically pleasing and provides for a highly durable leaf cover that cannot be distinguished from a natural tree. The antennas are effectively camouflaged at the top of the structure by the leaves.
LIGHTHOUSE TOWER.
The Lighthouse camouflaged structure provides an excellent solution for coastal settings where it blends in with the local environment. This structure is a multi-level structure for up to 6 operators’ antenna mounted at the top of the structure behind RF transparent panels. This type of structure is by its nature very ‘site specific’ and would require to be designed to a client’s requirements to ensure full compliance to both structural and aesthetic requirements. The special material used for cladding the top section of the structure, ensures minimum RF attenuation and protects the cellular and microwave antenna from the harsh coastal environment while effectively concealing these antennae from the public view.
GREEK ISLAND WINDMILL TOWER .
The Greek Island Windmill Tower is an example of a custom designed architectural feature developed with the sole purpose of providing a solution to not only conceal a cellular tower, but to use the structure to add value to the overall village or environment which development ambience. This specific application provides the landmark style setting of the Greek village below. Solutions like this one are developed to meet all the exacting requirements of both the cellular operators and discerning landowners in order to ensure a mutually desirable structure. The structural portion of this specific feature is constructed using conventional materials. The top section of the structure is constructed from RF transparent materials colored, textured and shaped to blend in seamlessly with the rest of the tower.
SIGNAGE TOWERS .
The structural portion of the tower is made from high grade steel galvanized to ISO specifications. The antennae mounting pole is housed behind specially designed and manufactured cladding panels. The material used for the cladding, provides an ideal surface for signage and advertising while effectively camouflaging the cellular and microwave antennae mounted above the tower. This structure can be adapted and custom designed to blend in with most urban site locations.