Patent Publication Number: US-6901717-B2

Title: Pole reinforcing arrangement

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/291,539 filed on May 16, 2001, which is incorporated by reference herein. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates generally to an arrangement for reinforcing poles or retrofitting poles to increase their strength and more particularly to an arrangement for reinforcing poles that support one or more communication antennas to enable such poles to support additional antennas. 
   The present invention also relates to reinforced poles and retrofitted poles in particular, poles for supporting communication antennas. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The growth of the wireless industry in the United States can be traced to the introduction of cellular service in the mid-1980&#39;s. The increase in mounting sites for wireless antennas is evidenced by the fact that in January 1985, there were only about 346 whereas in July 2000, there are approximately 82,000. 
   Wireless communication carriers use various structures to support their communication antennas at installation sites, for example, steel poles or towers. Steel poles are an aesthetic and increasingly popular self-standing structure utilized to support antennas for the wireless industry. 
   Steel poles designed, fabricated, and installed from 1985 through approximately 1996 were designed for singular usage, that is, each wireless carrier specified and purchased poles only capable of supporting their own antennas. However, as the wireless industry continued to grow through the addition of personal communications services (PCS) due to the auctioning of radio spectrum by the Federal Communications Commission in 1994, the demand for viable wireless sites exploded. Both cellular and PCS wireless service providers were competing for the ability to provide service to the public. 
   The public&#39;s perception and desire to stop pole and tower proliferation, strict zoning requirements, and competition for installation sites forced carriers to consider a new approach: co-location. Co-location is defined as having multiple carriers ‘co-locate’ or share, the same pole or tower. During 1997 and 1998, the wireless carriers began specifying and purchasing poles designed to provide multiple positions for installing wireless antennas. The carrier that purchased the pole would utilize one of the positions on the pole and the remaining positions would be leased to their competition in that area. Typically, at that time, poles would be designed for two to three carriers. However, as the industry continued to grow into the late 1990&#39;s, build-to-suit (BTS) companies began to have a presence in the wireless market place. BTS companies were not licensed wireless providers. Rather, they would own and operate the structures for the wireless carriers, in essence, acting as a landlord of the structures. As a result, the pressure to support additional wireless providers (co-locators) on existing structures continued to grow as the BTS companies strived to yield a return on their investment. In 2000, Lehman Brothers predicted build-to-suit tower requirements for co-location would increase from five wireless carriers per tower to seven wireless carriers per tower. 
   One problem facing the wireless industry in the face of increasing competition and public opposition to new wireless site construction is thousands of out-dated steel poles under-designed for the present needs of the industry. In other words, the industry must find a way to modify or retrofit thousands of existing steel poles from single or two carrier poles to poles capable of withstanding five to seven carriers. 
   Another problem that may arise is that poles might be manufactured with the expectation of supporting a set number of antennas but prior to installation, the number of antennas needed or desired for installation on the pole has increased so that the pole can no longer be used. Unless an alternative installation site is found which requires no more than the original set number of antennas, the pole has been rendered useless. 
   Another problem arises when it is desired to replace communication antennas with larger antennas. The pole as originally constructed might not be capable of supporting the increased area. In the prior art, there are several U.S. patents which describe arrangements for reinforcing poles and reinforced poles. 
   For example, U.S. Pat. No. 919,771 (Roberts) describes a pole including a central metal column, a base plate mounted on a concrete base, horizontal clamps and supporting rods or guys extending from the base plate through the clamps to a flange. The vertically extending supporting rods or guys are secured in the clamps between an annular rim and a securing ring. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 2,327,681 (Vanderveer) shows a pole reinforcement device including reinforcing members which are driven into the ground and clamping bands which clamp the reinforcing members to the pole. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 2,707,034 (Hetrick) shows a television mast stabilizer including a collar mounted around the mast and having a plurality of vertical elements that engage the mast to reinforce the mast. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,130 (Burtelson) shows an apparatus for reinforcing utility poles including a pair of collars mounted on the pole and having a splint therebetween which is driven into the ground. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,718 (Knight) shows a pole reinforcement system including a curved member and mounting holes. The member is driven into the ground adjacent the pole to be retrofitted and then attached via the mounting holes to the pole. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,108,996 (McGinnis) shows an apparatus for retrofitting guy-wired towers and includes a plurality of vertical legs which are designed to be attached outward of the existing legs. 
   None of these patents provides a reliable reinforcement system for a pole which is easily assembled and versatile. 
   OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved arrangement for reinforcing poles or retrofitting poles to increase their strength. 
   It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved arrangement for reinforcing poles that support one or more communication antennas to enable such poles to support additional antennas. 
   It is still another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved arrangement for reinforcing poles which is easily attached to an exterior of the pole. 
   It is yet another object of the present invention to provide new and improved reinforced pole for use, e.g., in supporting communication antennas. 
   In order to achieve the above objects, one embodiment of a reinforcement arrangement for a pole in accordance with the invention comprises a base flange adapted to surround a lower portion of the column and be attached to the base plate, elongate supports attached to the base flange at discrete locations around a circumference of the column and extend vertically alongside the column, and annular clamping collars adapted to be arranged around the column at different vertical locations. The clamping collars engage with the supports to thereby form a skeletal framework around the column. 
   Gussets may be connected to the base flange, descending downwardly and thus adapted to be connected to the base plate for supporting the base flange above the base plate. 
   The clamping collars may include an end clamping collar for clamping ends of the supports and which comprises a plurality of collar segments, each adapted to extend partially around the circumference of the column. Adjacent collar segments are attached to one another. Each collar segment comprises an inner wall adapted to conform to an adjacent portion of the column and an outer wall spaced from the inner wall to thereby define a space in which the ends of the supports are situated. The ends of the supports are attached to the inner and outer walls, e.g., by welding. A lowermost end of each support is attached to the base flange and an uppermost end of each support is attached to the end clamping collar. 
   Another clamping collar may be an intermediate clamping collar which is attached to intermediate portions of the supports. The intermediate clamping collar comprises a plurality of collar segments, each adapted to extend partially around the circumference of the column with adjacent collar segments being attached to one another. Each collar segment comprises a wall adapted to conform to an adjacent portion of the column. The intermediate portions of the supports are attached to the wall. 
   The supports usually comprise a tube. As used herein, the term “tube” is not limited to a hollow cylinder but encompasses any elongate hollow member having any cross-sectional shape. Indeed, in the art, tubes or a tubular structure is often used to refer to elongate, hollow steel members having a substantially rectangular or square cross-section. Solid elongate members are also encompassed by the use of the term “tube” herein. 
   One implementation of the reinforcement arrangement is designed for placement above the base plate in an intermediate location along the height of the pole and thus comprises two end clamping collars and supports extending therebetween. This embodiment does not use a base flange and associated gussets for supporting the base flange above the base plate. 
   Another embodiment of a reinforcement arrangement for a pole in accordance with the invention comprises elongate supports adapted to be attached to the base plate of the pole at discrete locations around a circumference of the column and extend vertically alongside the column and annular clamping collars adapted to be arranged around the column of the pole at different vertical locations. The clamping collars engage with the tubes to thereby form a skeletal framework around the column. This skeletal framework provides increased load-bearing capability to the pole which enables installation of additional antennas on the pole. 
   The supports may each comprise a gusset or stiffener member adapted to be fixed to the base plate and the column and one or more tubes with the lowermost tube being connected to the stiffener member. 
   The clamping collars generally comprise several collar segments, each extending partially around the circumference of the column with adjacent collar segments being attached to one another. 
   The clamping collars have several different forms depending on their placement relative to the tubes. One type of clamping collar is designed to secure ends of the supports, i.e., ends of the supports which are not attached to the base plate and column. In this clamping collar, a space is formed between inner and outer walls and the ends of the supports are situated therein and fixed to one or both of the walls. Another type is an intermediate clamping collar which is fixed to an intermediate portion of the supports. A third type is a splice clamping collar which is designed to provide a surface area to enable ends of vertically adjacent tubes to be fixed thereto. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals identify like elements, and wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a prior art pole to which the reinforcement arrangement in accordance with the invention can be applied; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a pole including two embodiments of the reinforcement arrangement in accordance with the invention; 
       FIG. 3  is an enlarged view of the section designated  3  in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 3A  is a view of the pieces of the base flange; 
       FIG. 3B  is a front view of a first one of the flange pieces having gussets attached thereto; 
       FIG. 3C  is a bottom view of the flange piece shown in  FIG. 3B ; 
       FIG. 3D  is a front view of a second one of the flange pieces having gussets attached thereto; 
       FIG. 3E  is a bottom view of the flange piece shown in  FIG. 3D ; 
       FIG. 3F  is a front view of a third one of the flange pieces having gussets attached thereto; 
       FIG. 3G  is a bottom view of the flange piece shown in  FIG. 3F ; 
       FIG. 4  is a top view of an assembled end clamping collar used in reinforcement arrangements in accordance with the invention; 
       FIG. 5  is a side view of the assembled end clamping collar shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 5A  is a top view of an end clamping collar section as it appears in the assembled end clamping collar shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 5B  is a front view of an end clamping collar section; 
       FIG. 5C  is an enlarged view of the section designated  5 C in  FIG. 5A ; 
       FIG. 6  is a view of an assembled intermediate clamping collar used in reinforcement arrangements in accordance with the invention; 
       FIG. 6A  is a front view of an intermediate clamping collar section; 
       FIG. 6B  is a top view of an intermediate clamping collar section; 
       FIG. 7  is a front view of a first sub-assembly of a reinforcement arrangement shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 7A  is an enlarged view of the section designated  7 A in  FIG. 7 ; 
       FIG. 8  is a front view of a second sub-assembly of a reinforcement arrangement shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 9  is a front view of a third sub-assembly of a reinforcement arrangement shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 9A  is an exploded view of the section designated  9 A in  FIG. 9 ; 
       FIG. 10  is a front view of a sub-assembly of another reinforcement arrangement shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 11  is a view of an alternative arrangement for attaching supports to a base plate; 
       FIG. 12  is a top view of a clamping collar section of an assembled splice clamping collar for use in a reinforcement arrangement in accordance with the invention; 
       FIG. 13  is a side view of the clamping collar section of the assembled splice clamping collar shown in  FIG. 12 ; 
       FIG. 14  is a perspective view of a pole including a second embodiment of the reinforcement arrangement in accordance with the invention; 
       FIG. 15  is a perspective view of the splicing of vertically adjacent tubes of a support in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 14 ; 
       FIG. 16  is a perspective view of the bottom of the pole shown in  FIG. 14 ; and 
       FIG. 17  is a perspective view of an assembled end clamping collar of the second embodiment of the reinforcement arrangement in accordance with the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , a typical pole for supporting wireless communication antennas currently in use (and which is often referred to as a monopole type of antenna supporting structure or monopole) is designated generally at  10  and includes a base plate  12  connected to a foundation  14  by anchor bolts or similar attachment means  16  and a column  18  connected to the base plate  12 . Column  18  may comprise one or more segments, e.g. two segments  20   a ,  20   b  as shown in  FIG. 1 , and means for enabling attachment of one or more communication antennas (not shown). Additional equipment is also connected to the column  18 , e.g., a support platform, or housed within the column  18 , e.g., electronic communication devices. 
   As discussed above, a typical prior art monopole  10  was usually designed to support only a set of one or more antennas of a single communication provider. It is not assured that the monopole  10  would be capable of supporting multiple sets of antennas, i.e., antennas of multiple communication providers, since the load of such antennas would exceed the loading limit of the monopole. Therefore, there is a need to strengthen the monopole  10  in order to enable multiple sets of antennas to be connected thereto and thereby avoid the need to build an entirely new monopole. 
   To this end,  FIG. 2  shows two embodiments of a reinforcement arrangement  22   a ,  22   b  in accordance with the invention in connection with the prior art monopole  10 . Each reinforcement arrangement  22   a ,  22   b  generally comprises a skeletal structure of cooperating vertical supports  24  and horizontal clamping collars  26  which together form an exoskeleton or skeletal framework about the column  18  of the monopole  10 . The vertical supports  24  are spaced around the periphery of the column  18  whereas the horizontal clamping collars  26  surround the entire periphery of the column  18  at several vertical locations and engage the vertical supports  24 . 
   A primary difference between the two reinforcement arrangements  22   a ,  22   b  is that the lower reinforcement arrangement  22   a  is designed to attach to the base plate  12  of the monopole  10  via an attachment arrangement  28  whereas the upper reinforcement arrangement  22   b  maybe positioned at any location along the monopole  10  and does not attach to the base plate  12 . 
   The attachment arrangement  28  includes a base flange  30  and gussets  32 ,  34  descending downward from the base flange  30  (see FIG.  3 ). Base flange  30  is formed from an annular piece of rigid material such a steel with a polygonal interior periphery conforming to the polygonal outer periphery of the column  18  and cut into three pieces  30   a ,  30   b ,  30   c  (see FIG.  3 A). The interior periphery of the base flange  30  has 18 sides in the illustrated embodiment and is cut at three locations so that each piece has five complete sides and the three pieces are substantially identical. In alternative embodiments the base flange can be round or multiple sided, i.e. 8, 10, 12, etc. The cutting of the base flange  30  into three pieces is designed to facilitate assembly of the lower section  22   a  by enabling fabrication of parts of the reinforcement arrangement  22   a  off-site at an assembly facility, as described in more detail below. Each part of the reinforcement arrangement  22   a  will include one of the pieces of the base flange  30 . 
   Gussets  32 ,  34  are attached to the three pieces  30   a ,  30   b ,  30   c  of the base flange  30 , typically by welding. Flange piece  30   a  has five gussets  32  attached thereto, each arranged perpendicular to a respective side of the polygonal interior periphery (see FIGS.  3 B and  3 C). Flange piece  30   b  has five gussets  32  attached thereto, each arranged perpendicular to a respective side of the polygonal interior periphery, and two gussets  34  arranged at its lateral edges (see FIGS.  3 D and  3 E). In some embodiments, gussets  34  are larger than gussets  32  and extending slightly above the upper surface of the flange piece  30   b . However, the lower edge of the gussets  34  is aligned with the lower edge of gussets  32  so that flange piece  30   b  will lie evenly on the base plate  12 . Flange piece  30   c  has five gussets  32  attached thereto, each arranged perpendicular to a respective side of the polygonal interior periphery, and one gusset  34  arranged at one lateral side (see FIGS.  3 F and  3 G). By providing three longer gussets  34  at the edges of the flanges pieces  30   b ,  30   c , when the flange pieces  30   a ,  30   b ,  30   c  are brought together, a gusset  34  will be present between adjacent flange pieces and can be welded to thereto to form the base flange  30 . 
   In alternative embodiments, gussets  34  are the same size as gussets  32 . In these aspects of the invention, flange pieces  30   a - 30   c  are be butt welded together to form the integral base flange  30 . 
   The provision of the base flange  30  and gussets  32 ,  34  is designed to enable the base flange  30  to be rotatable into multiple positions relative to the base plate  12  so that the gussets  32 ,  34  do not interfere with the anchor bolts securing the base plate  12  to a foundation. That is, an upper portion of the anchor bolts lies on the base plate  12  and would prevent a secure attachment of the gussets  32 ,  34  to the base plate  12 , i.e., the planar lower edge of the gussets  32 ,  34  could not be welded to the base plate  12  as the anchor bolts would prevent total contact between the gussets  32 ,  34  and the base plate  12 . As such, by providing the base flange  30  and gussets  32 ,  34 , the base flange  30  can be rotated until the gussets  32 ,  34  do not overlie the anchor bolts and are in direct and complete contact with the upper surface of the base plate  12 , i.e., to enable the gussets  32 ,  34  to be welded to the base plate  12 . 
   The gussets  32 ,  34  have a front, angled surface and a rear, planar surface so that when installed, the rear, planar surface of each gusset  32 ,  34  is welded to the column  18 . 
   Vertical supports  24  generally comprise elongate, hollow tubes or tubular structures  36  which in the illustrated embodiment, have a substantially square cross-section. It must be appreciated though that the exact form of the tubes  36  shown in the drawings is not intended to limit the invention. 
   Vertical supports  24  are placed at appropriate locations around the periphery of the column  18 . The number of vertical supports  24  needed to reinforce the monopole  10  depends on the height of the column  18 , the circumference of the column  18 , the thickness of the column  18 , the general structural strength of the column  18 , the number of sides or whether it is round. Thus, the number of vertical supports  24  needed to reinforce a pole will vary depending on the construction of the pole. In a similar manner, the size and thickness of the tubes  36  can vary whereby of the same material, a thicker tube would provide a greater degree of reinforcement than a thinner tube. As such, any or all of the number of vertical supports  24 , and size and thickness of the tube(s)  36  of each vertical support  24  can vary for each reinforcement arrangement in accordance with the invention. 
   In practice, an engineering evaluation would be performed on a pole to be retrofit with a reinforcement arrangement of the invention in accordance with the owner or carrier&#39;s specified loading requirements. This evaluation would determine how many vertical supports are needed, the required location of the vertical supports, and the thickness and size of the tubes of each vertical supports. Several alternative proposals would likely be determined. The evaluation would involve analysis of the existing loading capability of the pole and the desired loading capability in conjunction with the structure of the pole and the structure of the reinforcement arrangement in accordance with the invention. 
   In the embodiments shown in  FIG. 2 , there are two different types of clamping collars  26  used with both of the reinforcement arrangements  22   a ,  22   b . One type is used to attach to ends of the vertical supports  24  and is referred to herein as an end clamping collar  38 . Another type is used to attach to an intermediate portion of the tubes and is referred to herein as an intermediate clamping collar  40 . 
   An end clamping collar  38  is shown in  FIGS. 4-5C  and is attached to the ends of the vertical supports  24 . In the lower reinforcement arrangement  22   a , one end clamping collar  38  is attached to the upper ends of the vertical supports  24  of the lower reinforcement arrangement  22   a , and in the upper reinforcement arrangement  22   b , one end clamping collar  38  is attached to the upper ends of the vertical supports  24  of the upper reinforcement arrangement  22   b  and another end clamping collar  38  is attached to the lower ends of the vertical supports  24 . 
   Each end clamping collar  38  includes three collar sections  42 , each designed to extend about 120 degrees around the circumference of the column  18 . Each collar section  42  has an inner wall  44  having a contour substantially conforming to that portion of the cross-sectional shape of the column  18  against which the collar section  42  will abut. For the column  18  with planar sides, the inner wall  44  has a series of planar segments  46 . End clamping collar sections  42  also include flanges  48  at the lateral edges of the inner wall  44  and an outer wall  50  which overlies the ends of the tubes  36  of the vertical supports  24 . Outer wall  50  is designed to have planar portions in contact with the tubes  36  and may, as in the illustrated embodiment, have the same form as the inner wall  44 , i.e., have the same number of planar segments, each of which is parallel to a respective planar segment  46  of the inner wall  44 . 
   Attachment flanges or flanges  52  are formed in connection with or as part of the inner wall and/or flanges  48  to facilitate attachment of adjacent end clamping collar sections  42  together during installation of the reinforcement arrangements  22   a ,  22   b . More specifically, at one end of the collar section  42 , an attachment flange  52   a  is positioned along each of the upper and lower edges of the collar section  42  and at the opposite end, two attachment flanges  52   b  are positioned in an intermediate location, which when adjacent collar sections  42  are placed adjacent one another, will result in the two intermediate attachment flanges  52   b  being sandwiched between the edge attachment flanges  52   a  along the upper and lower edges (see FIG.  5 ). Thereafter, threaded rods  54  are inserted through apertures in the flanges  48  over the attachment flanges  52  and the collar sections  42  secured to one another by threading nuts onto the ends of the threaded rods  54 . Other means for attaching the end clamping collar sections  42  together are also within the purview of the invention. 
   End clamping collar sections  42  are not required to be fixedly connected to the column  18 . Rather, the collar sections  42  are clamped to one another to form the end clamping collar  38  with such clamping serving to fix the end clamping collar  38  to the column  18  at a desired vertical height. Nevertheless, it is possible to fix the collar sections  42  to the column  18 , e.g., by welding bolting or screws. 
   In use, the ends of the tubes  36  will be welded to the inner wall  44  and then the outer wall  50  welded to the ends of the tubes  36  to thereby secure the ends of these tubes  36  between the inner and outer walls  44 ,  50  as shown in  FIGS. 4 ,  5 A and  5 D. 
   An intermediate clamping collar  40  is shown in FIG.  6  and is attached to intermediate portions of the tubes  36  of each vertical support  24 . Intermediate clamping collar  40  includes three collar sections  56 , each designed to extend about 120 degrees around the circumference of the column  18 . As shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B , each collar section  56  has a wall  58  having a contour conforming to the cross-sectional shape of that portion of the column  18  against which the wall  58  will abut. For the column  18  with planar sides, the wall  58  has a series of planar segments  60 . Intermediate clamping collar sections  56  includes flanges  62  at the lateral edges of the wall  58  to facilitate attachment of adjacent collar sections  56  together. Flanges  62  may be formed in connection with or as part of the wall  58 . 
   To secure the clamping collar sections  56  together, threaded rods  64  are inserted through apertures  66  in the flanges  62  and the collar sections  56  secured to one another by threading nuts onto the ends of the threaded rods  64 . Other means for attaching the collar sections  56  together are also within the purview of the invention. 
   Intermediate clamping collar sections  56  are not required to be fixedly connected to the column  18 . Rather, the collar sections  56  are clamped to one another to form the intermediate clamping collar  40  with such clamping serving to fix the intermediate clamping collar  40  to the column  18  at a desired vertical height. In use, the tubes  36  will be welded to the wall  58  as shown in FIG.  6 . 
   In conventional monopoles, including the one shown in  FIG. 1 , one or more access ports  68  are usually provided. To enable continued access to the port(s)  68  after installation of the reinforcement arrangement  22   a , certain accommodations must be made. In the illustrated embodiment, these accommodations entail providing bypass tubes on either side of the column  18  around the access ports  68 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 2 , two bypass tubes  70  are arranged one on each side of the access port  68 . Each tube  68  is separated into two parts  72 ,  74  which are connected together upon installation of the reinforcement arrangement  22   a  (see FIG.  9 ). To bypass the access port  68 , a shorter tube  36   a  is connected to the base flange  30  and leads to a location below the access port  68  where tube parts  72  extend in opposite directions to the sides of the access port  68 . From the end clamping collar  38 , a longer tube  36   b  descends to a location above the access port  68  where tube parts  74  extend in opposite directions to the sides of the access port  68 . Tube parts  72 ,  74  on each side of the access port  68  are connected by bolts and splice plates, and the tube parts  72 ,  74  are welded to the respective tube  36   a ,  36   b  or to intermediate gussets  80 . This bypass arrangement maybe used for any access ports on the column  18  and the size of tubes  36   a ,  36   b  may be varied based on the height of the access port. 
   When assembling the reinforcement arrangements  22   a ,  22   b , it is usually desirable to assemble as many components as possible off-site and bring the sub-assemblies to the monopole  10  for installation. It is of course possible to bring the individual parts of the reinforcement arrangement to the site of the monopole and perform the entire assembly procedure on site. 
   Accordingly, several sub-assemblies of each of the lower reinforcement arrangement  22   a  and the upper reinforcement arrangement  22   b  are formed and connected together only upon attachment to the monopole. 
   With respect to the lower reinforcement arrangement  22   a , a first sub-assembly  76  is shown in FIG.  7 . This sub-assembly  76  comprises flange piece  30   c , five gussets  32 , one gusset  34 , two tubes  36 , three intermediate clamping collar sections  56  and one end clamping collar section  42  and a bypass arrangement comprising a short tube  36   a , a long tube  36   b , a bypass tube  78  and gussets  80  for connecting the bypass tube  78  to the short and long tubes  36   a ,  36   b  (see FIG.  10 A). Gussets  80  are arranged on both sides of the bypass tube  78 . Short and long tubes  36   a ,  36   b  are aligned with each other and bypass tube  78  is offset from short and long tubes  36   a ,  36   b.    
   To assemble sub-assembly  76 , gussets  32 ,  34  are welded to the flange piece  30   c  and tubes  36  and short tube  36   a  are welded to the upper surface of the flange piece  30   c  with each tube preferably in alignment with the center of a side of the interior periphery of the flange piece  30   c . Tubes  36  and long tube  36   b  are also welded to the outer surface of the wall  58  of the intermediate clamping collar sections  56  at set heights, with the tubes  36  adjacent the flanges  62  also being welded thereto. 
   In the illustrated embodiment, the length of the reinforcement arrangement  22   a  is about 40′ with the intermediate clamping collar sections  56  being arranged at heights of about 9′, 19′ and 29′ from the flange piece  30   c . Generally, the intermediate clamping collar sections  56  are placed at equal intervals to provide beneficial strength to the reinforcement arrangement  22   a , although analysis may result in a determination of uneven spacing between intermediate clamping collar sections  56 . The ends of the tubes  36  and long tube  36   b  are also welded to the outer surface of the inner wall  44  of the end clamping collar section  42 , and to the flanges  48  if adjacent thereto, and then the outer wall  50  is placed over the ends of the tubes  36  and long tube  36   b  and welded thereto and to the flange  48 . The gussets  80  are then welded to the bypass tube  78  and to the upper end of the short tube  36   a  and the lower end of the long tube  36   b.    
   A second sub-assembly  82  of the lower reinforcement arrangement  22   a  is shown in FIG.  8 . This sub-assembly  82  comprises flange piece  30   a , five gussets  32 , two tubes  36 , three intermediate clamping collar sections  56  and one end clamping collar section  42  and a bypass arrangement comprising a short tube  36   a , a long tube  36   b , a bypass tube  78  and gussets  80  for connecting the bypass tube  78  to the short and long tubes  36   a ,  36   b . Gussets  80  are arranged on both sides of the bypass tube  78 . Short and long tubes  36   a ,  36   b  are aligned with each other and bypass tube  78  is offset from short and long tubes  36   a ,  36   b.    
   To assemble sub-assembly  82 , gussets  32  are welded to the flange piece  30   a  and tubes  36  and short tube  36   a  are welded to the upper surface of the flange piece  30   a  with each tube preferably in alignment with the center of a side of the interior periphery of the flange piece  30   a . Tubes  36  and long tube  36   b  are welded to the outer surface of the inner wall  58  of the intermediate clamping collar sections  56  at set heights (the same heights as for the other sub-assemblies), with the tubes  36  adjacent the flanges  62  being welded thereto. The ends of the tubes  36  and long tube  36   b  are also welded to the outer surface of the inner wall  44  of the end clamping collar section  42 , and to the flanges  48  if adjacent thereto, and then the outer wall  50  is placed over the ends of the tubes  26  and long tube  26   b  and welded thereto and to the flange  48 . The gussets  80  are then welded to the bypass tube  78  and to the upper end of the short tube  36   a  and the lower end of the long tube  36   b.    
   A third sub-assembly  84  of the lower reinforcement arrangement  22   a  is shown in FIG.  9 . This sub-assembly  84  comprises flange piece  30   b , five gussets  32 , two gussets  34 , two tubes  36 , three intermediate clamping collar sections  56  and one end clamping collar section  42  and a bypass arrangement comprising a short tube  36   a , a long tube  36   b , two bypass tubes  70  and splice plates  86  for connecting separated portions of the tubes  70  together (these separated portions being designated as tube parts  72 ,  74 ). Short and long tubes  36   a ,  36   b  are aligned with each other and bypass tubes  70  are offset from short and long tubes  36   a ,  36   b.    
   To assemble sub-assembly  84 , gussets  32 ,  34  are welded to the flange piece  30   b  and tubes  36  and short tube  26   a  are welded to the upper surface of the flange piece  30   b  with each tube preferably in alignment with the center of a side of the interior periphery of the flange piece  30   b . Tubes  36  and long tube  36   b  are welded to the outer surface of the inner wall  58  of the intermediate clamping collar sections  56  at set heights (the same heights as for the other sub-assemblies), and the ends of the tubes  36  and long tube  36   b  are welded to the inner wall  44  of the end clamping collar section  42 , and flanges  48  if adjacent thereto, and then the outer wall  50  is welded to the ends of the tubes  36  and long tube  36   b  and flange  48 . 
   To enable attachment of the sub-assembly  84  to the monopole, the sub-assembly is cut in the area of the bypass tubes  70  to thereby separate the sub-assembly  82  into two parts. The splice plates  86  are used to connect the parts  72 ,  74  of the bypass tubes  70  together when the sub-assembly  84  is reconnected on site (see FIG.  9 A). Splice plates  86  are also used to re-connect the parts of the tubes  36  together on site. 
   Accordingly, a kit of the reinforcement arrangement  22   a  would comprise sub-assembly  76 , sub-assembly  82  and the two parts of sub-assembly  84  with the associated splice plates  86 . This kit could be easily assembled at a factory site and transported to the location of the monopole. 
   At the site of the monopole, the sub-assemblies  76  and  82  are attached to the pole, and the two parts of sub-assembly  84  are attached to the pole and then, using the splice plates  86 , attached to one another. Threaded rods  54 ,  64  are then inserted through the apertures in the adjacent flanges on the intermediate clamping collar sections  56  and the adjacent end clamping collar sections  42  and nuts used to clamp the collar sections  42 ,  56  together and thereby form the intermediate clamping collars  40  and the end clamping collar  38 . The gussets  32 ,  34  are welded to the base plate  12  and column  18 . 
   With respect to the upper reinforcement arrangement  22   b , since there is no access port covered thereby and it does not require attachment to a base plate, the upper reinforcement arrangement  22   b  is made of three substantially identical sub-assemblies  88  shown in FIG.  10 . 
   Each sub-assembly  88  comprises three tubes  90  of equal length, one intermediate clamping collar section  56  and two end clamping collar sections  42 . To assemble sub-assembly  88 , ends of the tubes  90  are welded to the inner wall  44  of the end clamping collar sections  42  and a middle portion of the tubes  90  is welded to the outer surface of the intermediate clamping collar section  56 . The outer walls  50  of the end clamping collar sections  42  are then welded over the tubes  90 . In the illustrated embodiment, the intermediate clamping collar section  56  is preferably situated equidistant from the edges of the tubes  90 . 
   Accordingly, a kit of the reinforcement arrangement  22   b  would comprise three sub-assemblies  88 . This kit could be easily assembled at a factory site and transported to the location of the monopole for installation in connection therewith. 
   At the site of the monopole, the sub-assemblies  88  are attached to the pole and then threaded rods  54 ,  64  are inserted through the apertures in the adjacent flanges on the intermediate clamping collar sections  56  and the adjacent end clamping collar sections  42  and nuts used to clamp the collar sections  42 ,  56  together and thereby form the intermediate clamping collar  40  and the end clamping collars  38 . 
   As to preferred dimensions of the clamping collars  38  and  40 , the end clamping collar  38  is taller than the intermediate clamping collar  40  and has a height of about 32″. The intermediate clamping collar has a height of only about 4″. The attachment flanges  52  of end clamping collar sections  42  have a height of about 8″ when four attachment flanges  52  are provided, as in the illustrated embodiment. As such, adjacent attachment flanges  52  from adjacent collar sections  42  will contact one another and create a tight fit between adjacent collar sections  42 . 
   In another embodiment of the invention, instead of using abase flange  30 , the vertical supports  24  can comprise a gusset or stiffener  90  attached to each tube  36  (as shown in FIG.  11 ). Gusset  90  is in the form of a rigid plate and has a lower edge attached to the base plate  12  and a side edge attached to the column  18 . The lowermost tubes  36  are then provided with a longitudinal slot into which the gusset  90  is slid and then the gusset  90  is attached to the lowermost tube by, e.g., welding. The longitudinal slot has a length less than the height of the gusset  90  so that the lowermost tube does not extend to the base plate  12  and thus does not contact the anchor bolts which secure the base pate  12  to the foundation  14 . 
   Since it may often be the case that tubes  36  capable of easy transport cannot extend the entire length of the reinforcement arrangement, e.g., a reinforcement arrangement extending 90′ is necessary but 90′ poles cannot be easily transported, in another embodiment of the invention, splice clamping collars are used. A splice clamping collar is used to splice vertically adjacent tubes together. 
   A splice clamping collar  92  is shown in  FIGS. 12 and 13  and is attached to ends of vertically adjacent tubes  36  when two or more tubes form a vertical support  24 . When a vertical support  24  consists of a single tube, a splice clamping collar is not required. 
   Splice clamping collar  92  includes three collar sections  94 , each designed to extend about 120 degrees around the circumference of the column  18 . Each collar section  94  has an wall  96  having a contour conforming to the shape of that portion of the column  18  which the wall  96  will abut. For the column  18  with planar sides, the wall  96  has a series of planar segments. Splice clamping collar sections  94  also includes flanges  98  at the lateral edges of the wall  96  to facilitate attachment of adjacent collar sections  94  together. 
   Attachment flanges or fingers  100  are formed in connection with or as part of the wall  96  and/or flanges  98  to facilitate attachment of adjacent splice clamping collar sections  94  together during installation of the reinforcement arrangements. Attachment flanges  100  are similar to attachment flanges  52   a  and  52   b  discussed above with reference to the end clamping collar sections  42 . Thus, threaded rods are inserted through apertures in the flanges  100  and the collar sections  94  secured to one another by threading nuts onto the ends of the threaded rods  100 . Other means for attaching the collar sections  94  together are also within the purview of the invention. 
   As shown in  FIG. 13 , an upper end of each lower tube  36  is attached, e.g., by welding, to an outer surface of the wall  96  of a collar section  94  from the approximate horizontal mid-point of the wall  96  to the lower edge of the collar section  94 . A lower end of each upper tube  36  is attached to the outer surface of wall  96  from the approximate mid-point to the upper edge of the collar section  94  with the lower edge of the upper tubes  36  being in contact with the upper edge of a respective one of the lower tubes  36 . This contact is facilitated by welding aligning pairs of tubes  36  together. 
   As with the end clamping collar  38 , the collar sections  94  of the splice clamping collar  92  are not fixedly connected to the column  18 . Rather, the collar sections  94  are clamped to one another with such clamping serving to fix the clamping collar  92  to the column  18  at a desired vertical height. 
   As to preferred dimensions of the splice clamping collar  92 , the splice clamping collar  92  is preferably taller than the intermediate clamping collar  40  and has a height of about 32″. The attachment flanges  100  on collar sections  94  have a height of about 8″ when four attachment flanges  100  are provided. As such, adjacent attachment flanges  100  from adjacent collar sections  94  will contact one another and create a tight fit between adjacent collar sections  94 . 
   The number and location of clamping collars  38 ,  40  and  92  used for reinforcing a pole depends, among other things, on the height of the pole and the additional desired loading capability. For example, for a pole longer than 90′, a preferred construction of the reinforcement arrangement could comprises a single end clamping collar  38  arranged at a height of 90′, two splice clamping collars  92 , one arranged at a height of 30′ and the other arranged at a height of 60′, and seven intermediate clamping collars  40 . Three intermediate collars  40  are arranged between the base plate  12  and the splice clamping collar  92  at a height of 30′ approximate at equally spaced intervals, two intermediate collars  40  are arranged between the splice clamping collar  92  at a height of 30′ and the splice clamping collar  92  at a height of 60′ approximate at equally spaced intervals and two intermediate collars  40  are arranged between the splice clamping collar  92  at a height of 60′ and the end clamping collar  38  approximate at equally spaced intervals. In this construction, each vertical support  24  would comprise three 30′ tubes  36 , with the lowermost tube extending from the base flange  30  to the splice clamping collar  92  at a height of 30′, the intermediate tube extending from the splice clamping collar  92  at a height of 30′ to the splice clamping collar at a height of 60′ and the uppermost tube extending from the splice clamping collar  92  at a height of 60′ to the end clamping collar  38 . Note that the height of the lowermost tubes would be somewhat less than 30′ as it would not extend from the base plate  12  but rather would extend from the base flange  30  which is at a height of about 1′ from the base plate  12 . 
   If only 60′ of reinforcement of a pole was needed, then only a single splice clamping collar  92  would be used at a height of 30′ and the end clamping collar would be positioned at a height of 60′. The vertical supports  24  would thus comprise two tubes of 30′ each (although the lowermost tubes would be less than 30′ in view of the elevation of the base flange  30  above the base plate  12 ). 
   On the other hand, if 120′ of reinforcement of a pole was needed, the three splice clamping collars  92  could be positioned at heights of 30′, 60′ and 90′ and the end clamping collar  38  would be positioned at a height of 120′. The vertical supports  24  would thus comprise four tubes of 30′ each (although the lowermost tubes would be less than 30′ in view of the elevation of the base flange  30  above the base plate  12 ). Additional intermediate clamping collars  46  would also be used in the portion of the pole between 90′ and 120′. 
   In view of the foregoing, and using the gussets shown in FIG.  11  and the splice clamping collar shown in  FIGS. 12 and 13 , another possible reinforcement kit for reinforcing or retrofitting a pole in accordance with the invention would comprise gussets, tubes, assembled clamping collars or collar sections, and assorted threaded rods and bolts for connecting the collar sections to one another. The kit could be brought to the site of the pole and installation of the reinforcement arrangement in accordance with the invention would then be initiated. 
   To provide for easier installation, some components can be assembled at a factory or other off-site location. For example, the gussets  90  can be welded to the lower ends of tubes  36  and the upper ends of the tubes welded to a splice clamping collar section  94 , and intermediate parts of the tubes  36  welded to intermediate clamping collar sections  56 . A sub-assembly of three tubes  36 , one or more intermediate clamping collar sections  56 , a splice clamping collar section  94  and three gussets  90  would thus be formed. In this manner, installation of this sub-assembly about a pole would involve welding the gussets  30  to the base plate  12  and column  18  and attachment of the intermediate and splice clamping collar sections  56 ,  94  together around the circumference of the column  18  to thereby form the intermediate and splice clamping collar  40 ,  92 . 
   Also, upper ends of additional tubes can be welded to a splice clamping collar section  94  or end clamping collar section  42 , and intermediate parts of the tubes  36  welded to intermediate clamping collar sections  56 . A sub-assembly of three tubes  36 , one or more intermediate clamping collar sections  56 , and an end or splice clamping collar section  42 ,  94  would thus be formed. In this manner, installation of this sub-assembly about a pole would involve welding the lower ends of the tubes to a splice clamping collar section  94  and attachment of the intermediate and end or splice clamping collar sections  56 ,  42 ,  94  together around the circumference of the column  18  to thereby form the intermediate and end or splice clamping collar  40 ,  38 ,  92   
   Referring now to  FIGS. 14-17 , another embodiment of a reinforcement arrangement in accordance with the invention is shown. 
   In this embodiment, each vertical tube  102  extends from the base plate  12  to an uppermost horizontal collar  104   a . The vertical tubes  102  extend alongside the column  18  and each vertical tube  102  is securely attached to the base plate  12  by appropriate means such as a gusset or stiffener member  106  attached to the base plate  12 . A strong, pressure-bearing bond is formed between the stiffener member  106  and the base plate  12 , e.g., welding. Each stiffener member  106  is a rigid, substantially polygonal piece of steel, although other rigid materials could be used. The stiffener members  106  are preferably also welded to an adjacent portion of the column  18  to provide additional structural integrity and support. 
   Vertical tubes  102  can extend end-to-end from a respective stiffener member  106  at the bottom of the column  18  to the uppermost collar  104   a . Tubes  102  may be made of steel or another rigid material. Instead of tubes, solid rods may be used. 
   To facilitate attachment of the lowermost tube  102  to a respective stiffener member  106 , each lowermost tube  102  has a longitudinal slit  108  extending inward from a lower edge for receiving a respective stiffener member  106  with the tube  102  being securely attached to the stiffener member  106  by appropriate attachment means. For example, apertures are provided in the stiffener member  106  and aligning apertures are provided in the lower end of the tube  102  so that bolts are insertable through the apertures and when tightened, secure the tube  102  to the stiffener member  106 . Other means for attaching the lowermost tubes  102  to the stiffener members  106  are also contemplated to be within the scope and spirit of the invention, e.g., welding. 
   The lowermost tubes  102  can also be attached to the base plate using the base flange  30  and gussets as discussed above. 
   If vertical tubes  102  are arranged end-to-end, then ends of adjacent tubes are spliced together. To this end, a sleeve  110  overlies the ends of adjacent tubes  102  with each tube  102  being inserted partially into the sleeve  110  (see FIG.  15 ). Sleeve  110  is hollow and elongate and has a cross-sectional shape designed to receive the tubes  102  and enable the tubes  102  to be positioned therein. Sleeve  110  includes a series of apertures and the adjacent ends of the tubes  102  are provided with apertures in alignment with apertures in the sleeve  110  to enable bolts  112  to pass therethrough and once tightened, to secure the sleeve  110  to each tube  102 . 
   Instead of sleeves  110 , other means for permanently or removably attaching or joining the ends of adjacent tubes together may be used, when a plurality of such tubes are present in a vertical support. For example, the splice clamping collars  92  discussed above may be used. 
   Also, a side plate could be provided with apertures in alignment with apertures in each of the tubes  102  so that bolts pass through the side plate and tubes and when tightened, secure the tubes together. 
   As to permanently attaching the ends of adjacent tubes together, the ends of the adjacent tubes may be welded together or a splice clamping collar as disclosed above can be used whereby the adjacent ends of vertically adjacent tubes are welded to a common substrate. Of course, if a vertical support comprises a single tube extending from the base plate to the uppermost collar  104   a , then attachment means are not necessary. 
   Each horizontal collar  104  extends completely around the circumference of the column  18  and comprises a plurality of collar segments  114 , each collar segment  114  extending partially around the circumference of the column  18 . A collar segment  114  comprises a main body portion having a shape conforming to the shape of that portion of the column against which the main body portion will abut. In the illustrated embodiment, the column has a polygonal cross-sectional shape with several planar sides so that the main body portion of each collar segment  114  has a series of planar segments  118 , with adjacent segments  118  being angled with respect to one another. A flange  120  is arranged at each end of the main body portion to enable attachment of the collar segments  114  together. Each flange  120  includes apertures to enable bolts  122  to pass therethrough to secure one collar segment  114  to an adjacent collar segment  114 . Other means for attaching the collar segments  114  together are within the purview of the invention. 
   The collar segments  114  are preferably fixedly attached to the column  18 , e.g., by welding. However, the collar segments  114  do not have to be fixedly connected to the column  18 . Rather, the collars segments  114  may be joined together and once joined together, the thus-formed collar  104  is clamped onto the column  18 . The clamp-on collars  104  are preferably made of steel or another rigid material. 
   If the column  18  is constructed with an upward taper, the collars  104  are also sized and shaped accordingly so that a lower collar would have a larger circumference than an upper collar. However, it is also possible to provide a uniform collar segment and alter the attachment means to compensate for variations in the circumference of the column  18 . 
   There are three collar segments  114  whereby each collar segment  114  is designed to extend about 120 degrees around the circumference of the column  18 . The collar segments  114  can be designed to extend over a different circumferential portion of the column  18 , e.g., 90 degrees, in which case, four collar segments would be used. 
   Each collar segment  114  further includes U-shaped brackets  124  arranged on the outer surface of some of the planar segments  118  to thereby define channels (see FIG.  17 ). Brackets  124  are sized and shaped such that the channels defined between the brackets  124  and the planar segments  118  are capable of receiving the tubes  102 . The edges of the brackets  124  are fixed to the outer surface of the planar segments  118 . 
   In use, a reinforcement kit for reinforcing or retrofitting a pole in accordance with this embodiment of the invention would be packaged and sold and would comprise stiffener members, tubes, collar segments, sleeves, brackets and assorted threaded rods and bolts for connecting the collar segments to one another. The kit could be brought to the site of the pole and installation of the reinforcement arrangement in accordance with the invention would then be initiated. 
   To provide for easier installation, some components can be assembled at a factory or other off-site location. For example, the stiffener members can be attached to the lower ends of tubes and thus sub-assembly delivered to the installation site. 
   Attachment of the reinforcement arrangement in accordance with the immediately foregoing embodiment thus involves the following steps:
         1. Welding the stiffener members to the base plate  12  and column  18 .   2. Attaching the collar segments to the column at desired locations, e.g., by welding and attaching the collar segments to one another using threaded rods and nuts.   3. Attaching two tubes to each sleeve.   4. Attaching the lower end of the tubes to the stiffener members and placing the tubes alongside the collar segments.   5. Attaching the U-shaped brackets to the collar segments with the tubes enclosed by the brackets.       

   The foregoing steps are generally those needed for a basic installation of a reinforcement arrangement in accordance with this embodiment invention. However, the steps may be performed in numerous different orders and thus the order of steps set forth above is not intended to limit the invention. 
   Accordingly, the method for reinforcing a pole in accordance with this aspect of the invention entails arranging annular clamping collars around the column at different vertical locations, attaching elongate tubes to the base plate at discrete locations around a circumference of the column, the tubes extending vertically alongside the column, and attaching the tubes to the clamping collars such that a skeletal framework is formed around the column. The tubes can be attached by fixing rigid stiffener members to the base plate and the column and fixing the stiffener members each to a lower end of a respective one of the tubes. The clamping collars may be arranged around the column by arranging a plurality of clamping collar sections each around a portion of the circumference of the column and attaching adjacent clamping collar sections together. A space is formed between inner and outer walls in at least one clamping collar and the tubes fixed in this space. 
   While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects, and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. For example, although the reinforcement arrangement is described for use in particular with a pole supporting one or more communication antennas, the reinforcement arrangement can be applied to any type of vertical structure for which reinforcement is desired.