>
>
> The other legs are okay? They have the same potential for damage. I'd
>drill a small weep hole just above the concrete in the other 2 legs
>just to make
>sure.
>
> The water ingress is from condensation.
My concern with weep holes at the level of the concrete is that you
have just traded one problem for another. With no weep hole the
water can rise above the top of the concrete and when it freezes it
will split out the leg. But by drilling a drain hole the water can no
longer rise above the concrete, but now it is just sitting in the leg
that is below the concrete and rusting the leg out at the point
where the leg enters the concrete. It may be slower, but it is still
a problem, and will bite you sooner or later.
The only REAL (long term) solution is to do it right and allow water
to drain out the bottom ends of the legs below the concrete. This
is why Rohn (et al) require gravel in the hole below the concrete. It
can STILL be somewhat problematic if the water table is very high
or the surrounding soil is impervious to water, as in some clays.
The condensation accumulates slowly, so most soils can drain away
the moisture. Splinting the leg will buy you some time and some bit
of safety factor, but the real problem still needs to be addressed and
that most likely means taking down the tower and redoing the base.
But before you do ANY climbing I would inspect all three legs very
carefully to make sure they are not rusting out from the inside.
73--John W0UN
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