Forms are nice in a 'nice' world. But With a water table at 10' in my area
I started digging a 4'x4'x6' hole for my LM-470 and the hole ended up being
5'x6'x10' + deep.... I dropped in the 'extended foundation base' and
formed the
top to the 'required 4'x4' and called the cement truck for a 'load and 1/2' of
'stiff' concrete. (The concrete went down and the water went OUT)
The base was poured in 'undisturbed' soil and has been at 90' for 15 years.
The biggest thing I had going for myself was that my brother-in-law as a cement
contractor and said "POUR THE BASE IN UNDISTURBED SOIL" , no forms to pull
after the pour, no compacting the earth after you pull the forms, nothing,
just
solid earth around the base. (IE : don't put your ground rods in the
concrete!!!!
, just the re-bar base-- tied, not welded, level , etc)
The tower is plumb , it's been through some 70+ mph wilds, etc. It lives,
and I didn't form-up the base!!!
Let well enough alone,,
73's
Bob Smith
A.R.S NA6T
ARRL Life Member
Fort Bragg, California 95437
"On The Air-Conditioned Mendocino Coast, In REAL Northern California"
No trees were destroyed in the sending of this message.
However, a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
|