To conduct experiments researchers must install testing equipment that is up to 25 feet tall. The systems are typically one-quarter mile long and irrigate an area of about 130 acres. To irrigate tall crops the systems are designed with towers that suspend the pipe above the ground. The minimum clearance is about nine feet. Tires and an electric motor are installed on the tower to propel the center pivot around the field.
Steel pipe is connected between the towers to supply water to sprinklers along the lateral.
The pipe is suspended using an under-pipe truss system. The distance between towers is called a span. The length of the span can vary between 130 and 200 feet. The pipe and the towers are typically galvanized to prevent corrosion. The first step to be accomplished was to find the system s dimensions.