[TowerTalk] Concrete Strength

[Brad Bradfield]

> calls for a 3' x3' x 6'6" deep hole. This is impossible for a backhoe
> to dig. 
> There's not enough room to articulate the bucket and do the
> excavation. You 
> can't dig it by hand; not only is it dangerous but also there's not
> enough 
> room to use a shovel. 

This ain't easy, but it CAN be done, and without climbing into the
hole.  I added onto my house years ago and had to move one of the
guywire king posts for my tower.  Because this set of guys had to clear
the roofline, the king post had to be about four feet taller than the
other two, thus a deeper hole.  I dug the hole 6 to 6-1/2 feet deep and
2 feet in diameter by hand with a shovel.  It took parts of a couple
days, but it wasn't outrageously difficult.  

Telephone company line crews years ago used to dig deep holes by hand
using a pair of shovels called a "spoon" and "banjoe", both on straight
eight foot handles.  The shovel blade on the banjoe was straight and
inline with the handle, and was used to break up the dirt in the bottom
of the hole, or to enlarge the diameter of the hole.  The shovel blade
on the spoon was curved almost 90 degrees away from the handle, and was
used to scoop the loose dirt out of the hole.

73,

Brad, W5CGH


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