Vertical Distribution of Ice Load on Tall Masts and Towers

Ice samples were collected at various heights on a 326 m tall guyed television mast equipped with anti-iced anemometers and thermometers. Ice loads on the mast were also simulated by the Weather Research and Forecasting model combined with a numerical icing model. The WRF model provided remarkably accurate predictions of the meteorological conditions and result in excellent estimates of the ice loads at different heights. A simple icing model, based on the observed weather data, also predicted ice loads in good agreement with the measurements. The results from both models support the approximate height distribution of the ice mass proposed in the ISO 12494 standard for atmospheric icing of structures.