[TowerTalk] TowerTalk Digest, Vol 31, Issue 118

[George Lee]

John, do you have a best method for knowing how the internal state of the 
legs will be?

Thanks for the posting.

73, George KR5C

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <towertalk-request at contesting.com>
To: <towertalk at contesting.com>
Sent: Saturday, July 30, 2005 11:00 AM
Subject: TowerTalk Digest, Vol 31, Issue 118


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>   1. Re: split tubing in base leg (W0UN -- John Brosnahan)
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> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
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> Message: 1
> Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2005 10:42:35 -0500
> From: W0UN -- John Brosnahan <shr at swtexas.net>
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] split tubing in base leg
> To: towertalk at contesting.com
> Message-ID: <6.2.3.4.0.20050730103455.04c203c0 at pop3.swtexas.net>
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>
>>
>>
>>     The other legs are okay? They have the same potential for damage. I'd
>>drill a small weep hole just above the concrete in the other 2 legs
>>just to make
>>sure.
>>
>>     The water ingress is from condensation.
>
> My concern with weep holes at the level of the concrete is that you
> have just traded one problem for another.  With no weep hole the
> water can rise above the top of the concrete and when it freezes it
> will split out the leg.  But by drilling a drain hole the water can no
> longer rise above the concrete, but now it is just sitting in the leg
> that is below the concrete and rusting the leg out at the point
> where the leg enters the concrete.  It may be slower, but it is still
> a problem, and will bite you sooner or later.
>
> The only REAL (long term) solution is to do it right and allow water
> to drain out the bottom ends of the legs below the concrete.  This
> is why Rohn (et al) require gravel in the hole below the concrete.  It
> can STILL be somewhat problematic if the water table is very high
> or the surrounding soil is impervious to water, as in some clays.
>
> The condensation accumulates slowly, so most soils can drain away
> the moisture.  Splinting the leg will buy you some time and some bit
> of safety factor, but the real problem still needs to be addressed and
> that most likely means taking down the tower and redoing the base.
>
> But before you do ANY climbing I would inspect all three legs very
> carefully to make sure they are not rusting out from the inside.
>
> 73--John  W0UN
>
>
>
>
>
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> End of TowerTalk Digest, Vol 31, Issue 118
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