with Bovay Engineers, Inc., of Houston (ref. 38). The basic ground rules for the study were the same as the above in-house study. Several configurations for the support structure were analyzed and materials analysis included steel, aluminum, and concrete. Figure A-38 illustrates a typical configuration. The study concluded that the least expensive material would be a galvanized or 2 weathering steel and the cost would be $1.94/ft for materials and construction labor. Site preparation would add another $0.06/ft . This study utilized conventional construction practices for determining the total cost. The only aluminum remaining in the structure is the quantity required to collect and transmit power. This reduced the year 2000 aluminum demand from the 7 percent mentioned above to 2 percent. The present concept for the rectenna structure is based on the work done by Bovay Engineers, Inc. However, the projected costs for the structure is over 20 percent of the total SPS program. Because of this cost, this area needs further study to determine if costs can be reduced. The area believed to be the best candidate for reducing costs is construction because no automatic fabrication has been investigated for the rectenna. An artist's concept of an automatic fabrication system for the rectenna is shown in figure A-39. This concept was included in the Part III Systems Definition Study by Boeing (ref. 9). This concept (or one similar) requires further definition.
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