[TowerTalk] New Tower Construction - Questions

[Stan or Patricia Griffiths]

Hi Bill,

My comments interspersed below:

Bill Coleman AA4LR wrote:

> I just got my building permit today, so construction begins this weekend.
>
> I do have some questions, and thought that the TowerTalk community might
> have some answers:
>
> * I'm planning to embed a Rohn 25 tower section in the concrete base. I'm
> unsure if direct contact with the concrete will cause corrosion of the
> section. Should embedded tower sections be coated with some kind of
> protectant?

I have not experienced any kind of corrosion due to imbedding bare Rohn
sections in concrete.

> Or would a protectant reduce the mechanical coupling between
> the base and the tower? Is corrosion (other than pooling of water in the
> legs due to improper drainage) not really a problem?

Not a problem in my experience.

> * I know I need a rebar cage in the base, but I'm fuzzy on the details of
> how to construct it. This is a standard 2x2x4 foot base, and I understand
> the rebar should be about 3" from the edges of the concrete. This
> translates into a 1.5x1.5x3.5 foot cage. I can see rebar at all the
> edges, how much is needed on the long faces? Are there horizontal pieces
> on the way down each face? Spaced how often? How about spacing for
> vertical pieces? Are there pieces on the top and bottom faces? Are there
> any pieces on the INTERIOR of the cage? Isn't there a problem with rebar
> and tower section trying to occupy the same space with the interior
> elements?

Well . . . I don't have any rebar in my bases, but then I don't expect them
to hold the tower up.  My towers are guyed at several levels.  I just use
enough concrete to keep the tower from sinking into the ground.

> * I plan to build a small wooden form to shape the top few inches of the
> concrete base. Is there something you can put on wooden surfaces to make
> the concrete not stick to it? This would make it easier to remove the
> forms later.

I have never had a problem with concrete sticking to forms.  I just use bare
wood for the top form like you describe it.

> That's all for now, other questions I got answered by searching the
> archives. Great resource, TowerTalk.
>
> Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr@radio.org
> Quote: "Boot, you transistorized tormentor! Boot!"
>             -- Archibald Asparagus, VeggieTales
>
> --
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Stan
w7ni@teleport.com



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