Pine Marten Lodge Concealed Wireless Cupola, Mt. Bachelor, OR

The 36-foot-tall, 8-sided structure located at 7,800 feet houses wireless infrastructure for the 3 largest carriers in the USA

Taking Concealed Wireless To New Heights

Situated at 7,800 feet on Mt. Bachelor and adjacent to the Pine Marten Lodge at one of the premier ski resorts in Oregon, this unique concealed wireless structure represents the highest level of concealed wireless design, fabrication, logistics and collaboration between major carriers. Driven primarily by AT&T who was motivated to increase their coverage at the mountain resort, in addition to coverage for area-wide residents, businesses and first responders, the cupola also houses equipment for Verizon and T-Mobile with room for two additional carriers for future expansion.

“This was one of the most significant concealed wireless projects in the Pacific Northwest in the last 20 years,” according to Chris Black, Director for Capstone Solutions, “We were fortunate to work with Steelhead Metal & Fab (Steelhead) as the fabricator, as our history with them has demonstrated that their attention to detail, quality and QA/QC consistently results in 10% — 15% labor and time savings for our on-site team.”

The 36-foot-tall, 23-foot-wide, 8-sided structure, weighing 22,000 pounds was completely pre-assembled at Steelhead’s Salem, Oregon facility to ensure all components fit perfectly, and to confirm modules were properly labeled and assembly instructions were clear, concise and complete. The pre-assembly process was observed by representatives of the primary contractor, Mastec Network Solutions, AT&T, the Oregon Department of Forestry and other stakeholders to observe and approve RF transparent materials aesthetics, structural steel and RF materials integration and overall efficiency of assembly.

 “While pre-assembly of large, complex projects at our fabrication facility is standard practice for us,” says Steelhead’s owner Mike Kreitzberg, “it was critically important for this project, as the mountaintop location presented innumerable challenges with regard to snow, wind, site stabilization and fiber routing that demanded maximum assembly efficiency.”

For example, Capstone Solutions needed to remove two temporary cell towers, and 8 feet of loose rock at the top of the Pine Marten knoll in order to level the area for the 40 foot by 40 foot cupola foundation pad. Over 140 yards of grout were poured on top of the leveled knoll to “glue” together the knoll’s loose rock before the foundation footing could be framed.

“Steelhead is well known for their turnkey approach to wireless concealment structures,” said Chris Black of Capstone Solutions, “Their experience and expertise allows them to anticipate the challenges of seamlessly integrating steel structures, RF transparent materials and RF equipment to satisfy the most demanding aesthetic, quality and logistical challenges on behalf of their clients.”

Once the cupola was pre-assembled (or prototyped) and approved at Steelhead’s facility, it was broken down and shipped to the staging area at the top of the Pine Marten ski lift line and assembled into the 8-sided structural steel base, and matching octagonal dome. Those two components were then lifted by crane to the finished pad. Once the entire steel structure was in place, installation of RF equipment and cabling quickly followed, followed by the RF transparent cladding which matched the materials of the surrounding environment, including the near-by Pine Marten lodge.

 “We’ve been fortunate over 25 years of operation, to have worked with great companies and their leadership teams like Rodger and Jennifer Smith of Solar Communications International (SCI), and Chris Black of Capstone Solutions, Inc.”, says Steelhead owner, Mike Kreitzberg. “Projects like the Pine Marten concealed wireless cupola demand exceptional planning, skill, determination and communication to be successful. At the end of the day, it’s very gratifying to meet and exceed the high expectations of our client partners. I think Chris Black said it well, this was a chance for us, collectively, to show off a little. This project was a great example of how experience and dedication to collaboration and continuous improvement yields a successful project for all concerned.”