[TowerTalk] Sinking Tower...

[n4kg@juno.com]

It's very possible the tower is sinking when your ground gets wet
and soft.  Remember, if you have 400 lbs of tension in each guy,
the lower set applies 200 lb of downward pressure PER GUY and
the upper set applies close to 300 lb of downward pressure per guy
for a total of approximately 1500 lbs in addition to the weight of
the tower, rotor, mast, and antennas (500 lbs or so) for a total
base load of around 2000 lbs.

I suppose you could place some pressure treated 4X4 or angle
iron around the base attached to the tower legs to give you
more surface area.

73 / GL,  Tom  N4KG

On Fri, 15 Jun 2001 09:22:04 -0500 "Ford Peterson" <ford@cmgate.com>
writes:
> I have a 68' Rohn Tiltover and mast at 80'.  Each year, (three years 
> now)
> the guys appear to lose their tension.  I notice it in the spring 
> after the
> thaw (Minnesota).
> 
> I control the turnbuckles so they don't move by threading guy 
> material
> through the loops so I don't think it is the steel guys twisting 
> themselves
> loose.
> 
> Now I am considering the base.  It is to spec according to the 
> prints--2' x
> 2' x 3'.  The soil is quite loamy.  In fact, each spring the base of 
> the
> tower sits in a few inches of water for a few weeks.  When I dug the 
> hole,
> the soil was very black and full of material as if in a very old 
> swamp.  Is
> it possible that the weight of the tower and the tension on the guys 
> (375# -
> 400# x 4 top and 4 middle guys) plus the viscous nature of the soil 
> is
> allowing it to sink?  After all, 3/16" of sinking would spread to 
> release
> all the tension on the guys, which is what I am experiencing.
> 
> More important, if it is sinking, what now?????
> 
> Ford-N0FP
> ford@cmgate.com
> 
> 
> 
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