Guy (red arrow), controlling the spinnaker pole. Structures with predictable lateral loads, such as electrical utility poles, may require only a single guy-wire to offset the lateral pull of the electrical wires, at a spot where the wires change direction.Ĭonductive guy cables for radio antenna masts may disturb the radiation pattern of the antenna, so their electrical characteristics must be included in the design.

For example, antenna masts are often held up by three guy-wires at 120° angles.

As the tower leans a bit due to the wind force, the increased guy tension is resolved into a compression force in the tower or mast and a lateral force that resists the wind load. They are installed radially, usually at equal angles about the structure, in trios and quads. The tension in the diagonal guy-wire, combined with the compression and buckling strength of the structure, allows the structure to withstand lateral loads such as wind or the weight of cantilevered structures. One end of the guy is attached to the structure, and the other is anchored to the ground at some distance from the mast or tower base. Structures that support antennas are frequently of a lattice construction and are called ' towers'. A thin vertical mast supported by guy wires is called a guyed mast. They are used commonly for ship masts, radio masts, wind turbines, utility poles, and tents. A yacht's mast is supported by shrouds and stays - nautical equivalents of guy wires.Ī guy-wire, guy-line, guy-rope, down guy, or stay, also called simply a guy, is a tensioned cable designed to add stability to a free-standing structure.

Guy wire roof anchors