[TowerTalk] base below ground level/drainage

[Jim Rhodes]

Offer to tint the concrete green or paint it, but for safety reasons 
the concrete must stick up above the ground. Especially if you live 
in an area with freezing weather. Not only is there a greater risk of 
corrosion, but you cannot inspect the tower base if it is underground.

And no reason to go to the more expensive concrete unless you are in 
a big hurry to get it up after pouring the base. The 5000 would set 
faster, but if you are willing to wait a couple of weeks the 3000 
will be plenty hard.

At 08:43 PM 7/14/2007, Arthur Trampler wrote:
>Hi All,
>
>I was trying to sell my father's 50' Glen Martin (18" side) tower 
>and Hazer when my wife (to my pleasure and surprise) decided she 
>would be OK if there were guy wires in our backyard if that got me 
>on the air (gotta love her).  My father, N0JT, has sadly reached the 
>point at nearly 84 where declining health makes getting on the air a 
>taxing event that yields less enjoyment than effort.  I don't have a 
>tower and he is giving this to me.
>
>However...her one request is that the top of the concrete be at 
>least a few inches below ground so if/when we move, we can cover the 
>spot and seed it...no harm, no foul.
>
>I am concerned about water accumulation/corrosion/structural 
>weakness to the concrete, and wonder if that is as much an issue as 
>I think it is.  If so, my thought is to have the back how dig a 
>trench away from the tower which I would partially fill with large 
>gravel, like a lateral for a septic system.  I would then place a 
>PVC pipe at the side of the concrete pour with a drain opening on 
>it, and slightly contour the top of the concrete toward that drain opening.
>
>Hopefully water would flow toward the drain, down the pipe/through 
>its L and drain out along the gravel.
>
>Is this reasonable? Necessary? Not enough?  Or am I missing something?
>
>Thanks for the input
>Art, KC2G
>
>P.S. Most tower mfrs. spec-out with 3000 PSI concrete; is it 
>generally worth paying the extra for 5000 PSI?
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Jim Rhodes K0XU
jim at rhodesend.net

Experience is the thing you have left when everything else is gone.