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[TowerTalk] Guy Anchor Failure

To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: [TowerTalk] Guy Anchor Failure
From: Tower2sell@aol.com (Tower2sell@aol.com)
Date: Tue, 02 Jan 2001 10:02:36 EST
In a message dated Tue, 2 Jan 2001  7:45:34 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
n4kg@juno.com writes:

<< N4KG responses inserted below.

On Mon, 01 Jan 2001  Pete Smith <n4zr@contesting.com> writes:

> At 06:09 PM 1/1/01 -0500, Jerry Keller wrote:

> >Which is better,,,,,concrete guy anchors.... or....screw anchors?  
> 
> Screw anchors are a lot more dependent on specific soil 
> characteristics than concrete anchors.  As an example, 
> the concrete anchors on my tower weight about ~1800 lb each, 
> and get the remainder of their anchoring  power from the weight 
> of soil above them.  Screw anchors weigh what --  maybe 50
> lb each?
    
    I suspect that much (most?) of the "holding power" 
    of the earth is not from the weight but from the 
    'cohesion' of the earth.  Loose dirt could weigh
    as much as undisturbed (compacted) earth but
    would have little or NO 'cohesion'.  K5RC once
    lost a tower when an anchor (cased in concrete)
    pulled through 'soupy' earth after sustained rains.
    For small anchors, the surface area and depth is 
    more significant than the weight.  (I agree that 
    Pete's 1800 lb anchors are pretty substantial)
    de N4KG

> 
> Of course, none of this is protection against a failure if the 
> anchor rod corrodes to the breaking point.

    AMEN ! - N4KG
> 
> 73, Pete N4ZR


Some people have forgot their science today. If you have a concrete anchor 
underwater, it has less uplift capacity. To figure the submerged capacity you 
subtract 62.4 lb/cubic foot from the volume/density of the concrete and soil 
mass. This is about half the capacity of a  normal dry installation. This 
means an anchor designed for dry conditions may pull out when submerged.

Tower2sell@aol.com


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