[Towertalk] Hit water digging hole - advice?

[Lee Noonan]

----- Original Message -----=20
From: Lee Noonan=20
To: David=20
Sent: Monday, July 08, 2002 12:04 AM
Subject: Re: [Towertalk] Hit water digging hole - advice?


David
Mine caved in a few times ..... We had a very wet winter... and in the =
end it was SO BIG, that I obtained approval (by the local council =
engineer) to make up 3 round tapered metal cylinders from  galvanised =
steel sheeting. (from an old above ground swimming pool )---  they were =
roughly 2 feet each in diameter at the top and maybe 2ft 8" at the =
bottom....also they didn't sit on the bottom of the hole (which kept =
getting larger ) and the sides of the hole had to be tapered out at the =
bottom... so it couldn't be pulled out of the ground... then there was =
one piece of heavy reinforcing steel mesh across the top ,plus 3 lengths =
of  reinforcing rods  (one in each cylinder) they were all welded to the =
tower attachment points... then another 8 inches (approx) of concrete on =
the top....

So, there was approx 6-8" of concrete at the bottom and up to the top of =
 the three metal cylinders (In between the metal cylinders was filled =
with the clay I had dug out of the hole..) & the three heavy mounting =
points were welded to a piece of reinforcing square mesh steel..... plus =
one long piece of reinforcing rod (about an 3/4 or 1" diameter) in each =
cylinder , also welded to the mounting points.... I believe I also =
welded some scrap steel to the 3 steel rods to make sure they didn't =
ever pull out.....  I can't remember if I welded anything at the bottom =
of the hole!!! apart from on the rods.... I don't think so, as it would =
have been VERY Difficult to get down there.....   I hope this may be of =
some help..... The original hole size was to be about  5ft round or =
square ... not sure..    and 6ft deep.......The steel sheeting was just =
screwed together ..... Its very difficult to remember exactly .... ..

Maybe all you need is a sheet of  flat galvanised steel made to fit Your =
hole.....  or anything else handy...=20
 I would taper it out at the bottom slightly... ... otherwise You are =
just depending on the weight of a square block of concrete to hold Your =
tower up...

Best Wishes
Lee Noonan  VK2LEE

http://www.qsl.net/vk2lee/  photos



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