Eastleigh Stone Lane Telecomms Case Study

Project Overview

Tasked with a comprehensive Beacon 4 site upgrade, our team successfully managed the end-to-end delivery of a structural tower extension and a complete hardware overhaul within a rigorous three-week build window. By deploying advanced ProX5 3D modeling during the feasibility stage, we established a “maximalist” RF form factor that ensured total ICNIRP compliance while providing the empirical data required by ICASE to mandate the tower’s vertical extension.

Leveraging our refined three-team structure – Feasibility, Design, and Build – we de-risked the project through meticulous asset surveying, crane logistics planning, and strategic Other Licensed Operator (OLO) negotiations. The physical implementation phase saw a seamless transition from the de-rigging of legacy assets to the precision hoisting of galvanised steel extensions and the integration of next-generation antenna arrays.

Project Sectors

Telecommunications

Full Project Details

Beacon 4 Site Upgrade & Tower Extension

HF Comms was commissioned to manage a comprehensive Beacon 4 upgrade at the Eastleigh Stone Lane facility. The project required a complete overhaul of existing site infrastructure, necessitating a structural tower extension to accommodate advanced hardware while maintaining strict regulatory compliance and operational continuity for multiple tenants.

Phase 1: RF Modeling & Compliance Engineering

The project commenced with a rigorous feasibility assessment. Using Prox5 software, HF Comms conducted a detailed analysis of the site’s electromagnetic environment.

RF Pattern Analysis: We modeled the Form Factor at maximum theoretical capacity. This “maximalist” approach ensures that the structural and safety envelopes cover any future hardware iterations, allowing us to “dial back” parameters once specific vendor hardware is confirmed.
ICNIRP Compliance: A critical deliverable was ensuring a passing ICNIRP (International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection) solution, guaranteeing that the site meets all public and occupational electromagnetic field (EMF) safety standards.
Structural Strategy: Based on the RF modeling and ICASE (Integrated Cellular Antenna System Engineering) data, it was confirmed that a vertical tower extension was mandatory to achieve the required aperture heights and signal propagation.

Phase 2: Asset Surveying & Technical De-Risking

Before moving to design, our asset surveyors performed an exhaustive site audit to de-risk the project:

Environmental & Planning: Checking for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and local planning constraints.
Infrastructure Health: Assessing the integrity of existing site cabinets and grounding systems.
Legal & Estate: Reviewing lease agreements to confirm that a structural height increase was permitted under current site tenures.

Phase 3: Design, Planning, and Logistics

The project transitioned to our specialised Design Team, who managed the lifecycle of the technical documentation:

Planning Drawings: For local authority approval.
Detailed Design Drawings (DDD): Final construction blueprints including steelwork specifications.
Crane Survey: A specialised survey was conducted to assess Ground Bearing Pressure (GBP) and site access. For this location, a standard X-sized crane was utilised, with outrigger pads deployed to distribute the load safely.

Phase 4: Implementation, De-Rig & Re-Rig

The physical build was completed in a rigorous three-week window:

Week 1 (De-Rig): Legacy hardware was decommissioned. Because the tower is a shared asset, we negotiated downtime windows with OLOs during the design stage to ensure minimal disruption to their active networks.
Week 2 (Structural Lift): The tower extension was hoisted into place via crane and secured to the existing headframe using high-tensile galvanised steel fixings.
Week 3 (Tech Install): Riggers installed the new Beacon 4 antenna arrays and re-installed the OLO equipment. A significant portion of this phase involved complex feeder management and cabling, which required one full working week to ensure proper surge protection and weatherproofing.

Phase 6: Commissioning & Sustainable Handover

Following the physical build, our active partners arrived for the commissioning phase. HF Comms remained onsite to provide technical support and verify that the integration met both our internal quality benchmarks and the client’s performance KPIs.

Sustainability: All redundant hardware, steel frames, and copper cabling were removed. HF Comms prioritised recycling for raw materials and the refurbishment of decommissioned hardware where possible.
Site Restoration: The site was returned to its “as was” state, verified by an extensive “before and after” photographic audit.
The HOP Pack: The project concluded with the delivery of the Handover Pack (HOP), providing the client with a full digital record of the upgraded site, including test certificates and as-built drawings.

Key Outcomes

Effortless Integration: The project moved seamlessly through our three core teams (Feasibility, Design, and Build).
Safety Record: Zero incidents reported during high-risk lifting and rigging operations.
Future-Proofed Infrastructure: The Beacon 4 upgrade provides Eastleigh Stone Lane with significantly enhanced data capacity and coverage.