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Re: [TowerTalk] Learning from Tragedies

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Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Learning from Tragedies
From: <john@kk9a.com>
Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2018 09:05:17 -0400
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
This is terrible a tragedy for the young man and his large family. There is
a GoFundMe link in the story:
http://wirelessestimator.com/articles/2018/fund-set-up-for-mastec-constructi
on-manager-who-died-in-weekend-tower-collapse/

The story indicated that a shackle broke, it would be nice to know why as
they seem pretty rugged. I have no experience erecting Rohn 25G but with my
Rohn 55 and 65 I have never felt unsafe building it until the next guy level
with the exception of the first sections since I use tapered pier pin bases.
My temporary guys were EHS and I left them attached for a while as I
continued to build. I would imagine that professional tower riggers just
build up to the next guy level however there is certainly nothing wrong with
being extra cautious using rope guys as N1UR described, especially if tower
movement is a concern.  

John KK9A


From:   "Edward Sawyer" N1UR
Date:   Fri, 12 Oct 2018 13:26:29 -0400

I am sure that many of you have heard about a recent tower climbing death
installing 70ft of Rohn 25G.  The details of the story made me think about
my tower building processes and I am wondering how they compare with others.

I personally have 70 ft of Rohn 45G and it is guyed at 35 and 70 ft.  I am
not sure I would be comfortable with 70 ft of 25G guyed only at 35 and 70
ft.  What are the thoughts of the group here?

 

When I build towers, even with a fixed based set in concrete, I rope guy
each section after 20 ft.  So when I am putting the 30 ft section on, my
standing tower is rope guyed at 20 ft.  As I would be putting the first set
of guys at 35 ft (if it were 45G), I would be looking at rope guys coming
down from 20 ft and 30 ft levels and then would have the 35 ft guys
available to me as I am clipped in at the 30 ft level after gin poling up
the section with the 35 ft guys.

 

Secure the permanent set of guys and then drop all the ropes.  My next
section 40 - 50 ft would have rope guys I can access at 40 ft and those
would be secured at the 50 ft level before moving the gin pole up to 50 ft
and so on.

 

It does not appear that the above method was used in this tragedy from the
descriptions.  Obviously, if there was a catastrophic guy anchor failure,
the above would not prevent that.  There is no mention of the guy anchors
used.  Hopefully if it's a 2 guys system, earth anchors were not the choice.

 

In the interest of honoring the event, I though a discussion of the tower
stacking techniques of the community might be in order.

 

Ed  N1UR

 

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