Hiding in Plain Site

Hiding in Plain Sight

a n t e n n a c o n c e a l m e n t h a n d b o o k

s t e a lt h® co n ce a l m en t so lu t i o ns , i n c.

b | ANTENNA CONCEALMENT © COPYRIGHT 2013 STEALTH® CONCEALMENT SOLUTIONS, INC.

You’re loSing moneYon everY concealment You build.

the process of screening, hiding

,

or camouflaging antennas

© COPYRIGHT 2013 STEALTH® CONCEALMENT SOLUTIONS, INC. ANTENNA CONCEALMENT | 1

everY antenna You’ve Hidden coStS

20% - 30% more tHan it SHould Have.

WHY?tHe reaSonS are manY.

1. Control of design has shifted from people in the wireless business to cities and towns and the well-meaning citizens who sit on zoning boards.

2. People create designs unaware of the most cost-effective materials and methods.

3. Installation relies on outdated methods; wireless moves at the speed of sound, except when it comes to towers.

tHe Solution. We believe educated and informed participants in this process can solve this problem. On the following pages, we will illustrate how you can get more for your concealment dollar while avoiding traps that frequently confront the typical project.

WOW!That’s a lot!

This book details how you can get more from your concealments.

a supervisory committee of individuals who ensure structures meet certain restrictions

2 | ANTENNA CONCEALMENT © COPYRIGHT 2013 STEALTH® CONCEALMENT SOLUTIONS, INC.

Remember

the BRICK?!

This book offers a before, during, and after primer

on concealment. We could benefit from STEALTH’s

experience. There’s no reason to hide from concealment.

Firsta bit oF history

Concealment was born about 20 years ago. The industry’s first sites were made of plywood. The sites worked with plywood, but the water compressed inside the wood made them a less-than-ideal option. That didn’t matter much, though, because the networks were pretty unreliable. Impeded signal wasn’t a concern then; it was cooler to have a phone than it was to be able to make a call.

Plywood was fine until it wasn’t: enter STEALTH®. Slowly, but surely, all those wooden concealments required retrofitting. That drove the need for a proven, RF-transparent panel that could remain relatively invisible when placed in front of an antenna. That panel also had to match its surroundings, meaning transparency and camouflage – often bordering on true artwork – were key.

The biggest evolution is that concealment is no longer a “nice to have;” it’s a must have. Municipalities seek quality concealment. End users understand they have options, and are focused on getting sites ramped up and serving customers. Today, we’re part of a vast network of designers, builders and suppliers conjuring up concealments for just about anything the wireless industry needs.


Part 1before tHe concealment

Nice! Would you ever guess that’s an antenna?

adding new technology or features to an older system


Site acquisition for concealment requires that considerations be made during the search ring process (the time when carriers or their agents are negotiating for the rights to use land or airspace). A carrier should approach a site with a couple of options for concealment in their hand. The more detailed these initial options are (i.e.: photos of past sites that have been concealed, an initial sample drawing or a photo simulation) the better you can set the expectations. Pre-thinking concealment can help steer the team to the right site, and the right camouflage. Plus, people who appear organized and thoughtful inspire confidence.

Another benefit is you gain control of the complexity and — by default — the cost of the concealment. After all, concealment is generally the last thing any carrier wants to consider because of the additional cost involved. However, the longer the site is delayed the more revenue is lost. At what point does it become cheaper to conceal than to resist?

What really matters during this phase of the project is that maximum goodwill is established with all the stakeholders. Goodwill is best achieved through full disclosure regarding potential for the site(s) in question. Practical, real-world solutions for questions and concerns that pop up will be prized.

And pop up, they will. If you go to a hearing, or visit with a landlord, without an idea of what the most cost-effective concealment option is, you cede all control to others. Be proactive and have your choices and details on hand as you engage your owner(s). Manage the decision process or it will surely manage you.

Our 20 years of experience tell us that a casual approach can drive cost increases anywhere from 25% to 75%.

WHYdoeS everY concealment comPanY SaY tHeY Have

to be involved aS earlY aS PoSSible in order to trulY influence tHe coSt, timelineSS and qualitY of a Project?

TIP: Always approach a landlord or town with options that you’ve vetted and priced.

gaining possession

of a new cell site

digital photo illustration showing a proposed concept

© COPYRIGHT 2013 STEALTH CONCEALMENT SOLUTIONS, INC. ANTENNA CONCEALMENT | 5

HoW can Your concealment Partner HelP You get to

“YeS”?Collaborate. Bring your concealment company along on the search ring process and listen to the advantages/disadvantages of potential sites.

Entertain options. Work with them on 2 – 3 simple sketches and cost estimates.

Prepare your case. Outline likely objections from the landlord and have solid answers.

Arm yourself. Have written references speaking to your concealment partner’s quality and professionalism.

Listen to your concealment company. Any major concealment vendor can probably tell you what concealments they’ve done in a given zip code. A vendor’s institutional knowledge is a powerful tool.

Get hitched. Centralizing your concealment relationship with one vendor could save you time — and money — on future projects. Consider it!

Now that you’ve engaged your concealment partner, set the meeting. Write an agenda and guide the conversation. Know your goal.

Partner with a concealment company to come up with the most efficient solution.

Especially impactful if the site in

question is similar to one you’ve

already managed

inSide inSigHt Cities all over the United States are hiring consultants to write concealment ordinance language. This has the potential to drive costs higher. It’s already too late in some parts of the country, but if you follow the simple guidelines in this handbook, you can be a proactive part of the dialogue and control costs.


KeY leSSonS learned

1. Bring a concealment expert into your site selection process from the start. A good vendor is a partner as interested in your long-term success as theirs.

2. Determine the advantages/disadvantages for each potential concealment site.

3. Based on this upfront work, create 2-3 options using existing drawings, photo simulations and/or samples from the site in question or a similar, existing site.

4. Know, in advance, what types of concealments are good - fast track, low hassle - candidates, in the eyes of the other party (be that the building owner, local government or whomever).

5. Standardize the concealment selection purchase process while it’s still a relatively small portion of the site budget.

6. Centralize the purchase of concealment products to share designs and material costs across several projects.

Take control!

Own the aesthetics

!

Drive the decision

!

Video testimonials that incorporate

both the site and residents are

especially impactful.

Approach your first meeting armed with drawings, photo simulations, samples and examples of existing installed sites.


Part 2 “i Have to build WHat?”


This sounds good, but is usually not. It’s good when someone with more than 20 years of experience is behind it; not so much when a newbie conjured it up. The difference goes beyond aesthetics. Design integrity, durability, build-ability, RF transparency, the ability to gain municipal approval on the first attempt and a host of other factors matter. And experience is key to navigating them all.

Adding concealment after the site has been chosen carries a host of challenges. Pre-determined designs are more expensive to quote, fabricate and install. Why? Picture yourself designing a car, sending the drawing to a factory, and expecting the cheapest possible price for your one-of-a-kind wheels. That’s not cost saving, it’s a cost snowball, and you lose all benefits from the experience and connections of your vendor.

So, what drives up costs during this phase? Typically, a pre-selected concealment arrives on site in pieces. The local contractor, who built a carport yesterday, struggles to make sense of the drawings. Busy people, they underbid the job and are now in a hurry to get it done. They skipped the pre-construction team calls. The clock ticks and, at some critical point around the 11th hour, they call the designers for help.

Now the meter is really running and everyone is scrambling to meet the deadline. Soon, everyone is pointing fingers in a desperate attempt to avoid back-charges on a project that was already quoted close to the bone.

too often, tHe Project arriveS at tHe concealment

comPanY alreadY deSigned.

inSide inSigHt It may not be possible to have a concealment provider do the design, but you can still benefit from their experience. Make sure your architecture and engineering firm gets input from a concealment company to maximize the design.

describes a material that is able to let RF signals pass

through with minimal dB loss


it doeSn’t Have to be tHiS WaY!

HoW to maKe tHe “during” PHaSe WorK

• Customer calls a meeting with all the involved parties, previewing potential sites.

• The team discusses the best options for each, and approaches customer with their ranked choices.

• The customer makes their choice, and seeks a general design approach – complete with concealment.

• A frank conversation is had between carrier, contractors and concealment partners about ideal options, costs, maintenance and more.

• An option is chosen, priced, and goes to the design department.

• Customer demands that their installation team meet at least once with the concealment designers before delivery.

Sound like a lot of communicating? Bingo, but all that pre-thinking means engineering costs are reduced, knowledge is shared, projects are completed faster and mistakes are minimized. In fact, just the initial meeting alone has been proven to cut project costs by 20% to 30%, and cut project completion time in half.

inSide inSigHt Post all your engineering packages in a shared folder and let all Construction Managers access it. Engineering can be re-used at a fraction of the cost of recreating a similar package.

that could add up to

substantial savings!!!


KeY leSSonS learned

1. Designs locked in stone before reaching the concealment company cost more, almost without exception.

2. A holistic approach to a carrier’s concealment needs will drive down cost at every phase of the concealment project.

3. Concealment companies have more design experience: use it.

4. Exploit similarity in design across regions to reduce engineering and fabrication costs.

5. Ask concealment companies which products they can build the best, easiest and most cost efficiently. Look for opportunities to deploy that design across the company.

6. Get testimonials from all parties involved to grease the approval skids.

7. Trouble will likely occur on site. Have numbers and contact information ready. Also, have your fabrication drawings on hand when calling from the site. This will speed the solution along.

This is a set of plans that shows how a concealment structure is constructed. It includes measurements needed to manufacture and construct, detailed dimensions of each part and a bill of materials.

inSide inSigHt Ask your concealment vendor for any photos they might have. It can be an important addition to your project archive.


Part 3after concealment


Abandoned, the concealment is left to the elements until, generally, something goes wrong.

Absent proactive involvement by the landlord, the carrier or a designee, there’s little thought given to the maintenance of the site and its concealment. This is another expensive problem.

Concealments – and the towers they conceal – need maintenance. They must adapt to changing technologies. They must remain structurally sound so as not to create problems in their surrounding areas. Yet little to no thought is given to the long, healthy life of a site.

The better approach is to pre-plan and pre-budget regular inspections. Some sites benefit from quarterly visits; others less, and some even more. Your region’s weather will drive the optimal schedule.

Each inspection should be conducted in a rigorous and detailed manner. Take photos and make notes. Damaged or worn parts should be replaced or repaired. Connections should be tested for strength. But don’t expect concealments to meet the standards you’d apply to permanent buildings: those are fake bricks and tree branches, after all. And the key is to use RF-transparent materials, which are automatically less resilient than traditional building materials.

Twenty years ago, there were so few sites that nobody had to worry much about them. Some of those original towers remain, and as they age, it’s certain they will degrade.

90% of tHe time after a job iS comPleted, HigH fiveS

abound, elviS leaveS tHe building, and everYbodY forgetS tHe Site.

And we all know Murphy’s Law!!!


HoW to get to

“HaPPilY ever after”• Pick a partner you can trust and set up a schedule for

regular inspections.

• Stay in touch with your original contractor or retain a larger concealment company to maintain the site.

• Categorize your concealed sites from oldest to youngest, and categorize them into sites with the greatest risk, based on age and proximity to people and property.

• On new installations, invite your concealment company to conduct a final approval of the installation.

• Expect your site to be well engineered and to last a good while. But remember these aren’t traditional materials and will require routine reviews.

KeY leSSonS learned1. Reactive replacement and repair processes are recipes

for trouble.

2. Concealment company sign-off is a great way to finish a project.

3. Set a specific schedule for inspecting your sites.

4. Keep good records. Photographs, videos and drawings with any approved changes are useful project artifacts to keep.

We’ve lost count of the new towers

we’ve seen that weren’t installed as engineered and were doomed from Day 1.

WHat do You Have to Hide?Concealment is simple. It’s not easy, but it doesn’t have to be hard, either. You can seriously reduce the time, frustration, annoyance, and cost that concealment too often conjures. Come on — stop hiding from concealment!

800.755.0689 | 6549 FAiN BLvd. | N. ChArLESTON | SC | 29406 | stealthconcealment.com

Date post:	25-Mar-2016
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Hiding in Plain Site

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