During pole selection, the maximum tension of the guy is assumed to be equal to what?

• A. The maximum breaking strength of the guy
• B. The minimum breaking strength of the pole
• C. The minimum breaking strength of the guy
• D. The average tension the line experiences

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that the guy wire is the limiting element for tensile loads in pole support. When sizing, you use a worst-case assumption based on the guy’s own strength. The maximum tension the guy could experience is governed by the weakest point in the guy assembly—the minimum breaking strength of the guy. By taking this as the design limit, you ensure the system remains safe under the most extreme loading, since any higher tension would exceed the guy’s capacity. The other options either treat a stronger rating as the limit (the overall breaking strength of the guy), shift the focus to the pole (minimum breaking strength of the pole), or rely on an average load rather than a worst-case scenario, which isn’t appropriate for ensuring reliability.