[TowerTalk] RE: Erecting tower

[K7LXC at aol.com]

In a message dated 12/6/03 7:36:29 PM Pacific Standard Time, k7acz at cox.net 
writes:

> Thanks for the info on your web site for your tower base.  Having just
>  moved to the Las Vegas suburbs to my retirement home away from the HOA
>  and CC&R's I had in California I am ready to put up my tower, a modest
>  MA-40 tubular tower.  First problem is the drawing supplied by US
>  Towers is stamped by a California P.E.  I need one with a Nevada P.E.
>  stamp (why, I don't know, why can't a NV building inspector accept a
>  CA P.E. stamp?)  

    While adoption of the UBC (Uniform Building Code) is pretty widespread, 
many building departments use other codes or modify the UBC for their specific 
applications so basically they're ALL DIFFERENT. 

    The building departments want a local PE stamp because the local PE knows 
what the local regs and specs are. 

>  Next I need CALCS (Not sure what this means, Calculations?) for 90 MPH 
winds.  

    Then you obviously need engineering intervention. The building codes 
exist to have uniform safety and construction specifications that protect YOU.

>  I was hoping I could do this just
>  using a few friends and mixing the concrete ourselves, we only need
>  1.5 cu yds.  

    Once you have the permit, you can do that. 

>  I was interested in reading on how you treated the
>  bedrock problem.  I may run into that myself as my house stands on
>  what was desert a few years ago.
>  I am tempted to put up the MA-40 without the building permit, others
>  around here have put up short towers without getting caught.  But if
>  someone complains and I don't have the building permit I may have to
>  take it down.

    It's your choice. If you get busted for not having a permit, you can 
typically retro one with little or no consequences. Just document everything by 
taking pictures of the hole, rebar cage, etc. and hang onto the receipts for all 
the materials and you'll be able to demonstrate that you built it within the 
manufacturer's specs. In ALL cases follow the LXC Prime Directive to "DO what 
the manufacturer says" and you'll stay out of trouble. 

Cheers,
Steve     K7LXC
TOWER TECH -
Professional tower services for commercial and amateur
888-833-3104