[TowerTalk] Hole Digging Question

[Keith Dutson]

Assuming the 8 foot dimension is depth, that hole will require a fairly
large backhoe.  A good operator should be able to make the hole within a few
inches of your specification.  But you should measure as work progresses
just to be sure.

My tower base hole was dug by hand.  After this labor intensive task was
completed, a small excavator was rented to dig the guy anchor holes.  This
was my first experience operating this type of machine; the rental
salesperson assured me that I would be able to quickly learn to use the
joysick controls.  The first hole ended up much larger than needed, took 45
minutes, and a nearby tree lost some bark. <grin>  The next hole was much
closer to spec and took only 15 minutes.  The third was finished in 10
minutes.  The rental cost was under $300.  However, my estimate for concrete
was quite low and an extra 3 yards of concrete had to be ordered.

Keith

-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Pat Chiles
Sent: Thursday, July 22, 2004 9:27 AM
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: [TowerTalk] Hole Digging Question

I will be starting a tower project in about a month.  It will be a 72 FT
crank-up and the specs call for a foundation that is 5ftx5ftx8ft.  Is it
reasonable to expect a back-hoe operator to be able to dig this size whole
without elongating it beyond 5ftx5ft?

Pat, K8PC
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