[TowerTalk] Digging a 5'x5'x8' tower footing

[BRENT BAUM]

When I contacted a local PE (Heber City, UT) regarding my tower base he asked how I was going to dig the hole. I told him I would use a large auger and then square it up. His reply was in effect, good because there isn't any way you're going to do one that size with a backhoe and keep undisturbed soil. He was more concerned about keeping the soil undisturbed than about the size, rebar, or whatever else. In other words, no backfilling.
FWIW
K7MEI, Brent



> From: w1ksz at q.com> To: towertalk at contesting.com> Date: Mon, 12 May 2008 19:54:03 +0000> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Digging a 5'x5'x8' tower footing> > Let me toss this out for consideration. I too have the situation where I need> a large hole for an LM-470 base.> > I thought about contacting a "Tree Planter" and getting him to use his big> Auger to bore the hole for the base. I don't think it makes much difference> if the hole is round or square as long as the same amount of concrete is> used.> > Or am I totally off base here ??> > 73, Dick, W1KSZ> > > > > Date: Mon, 12 May 2008 14:46:02 -0400> From: kc2pih at gmail.com> To: towertalk at contesting.com> Subject: [TowerTalk] Digging a 5'x5'x8' tower footing> > Hi,> > I am in the process of trying to find a excavator to dig the footing> for my HDX572 tower. To the 5 people I've talked to so far, this> 5x5x8 hole is difficult. I think mostly because none of them have a> small enough backhoe. Most of them want to dig a big hole and have me> pour into a concrete form and backfill later.> > They claim they can backfill and bring the soil back into> "undisturbed" condition around the footing by compaction - even> claiming that this might be more reliable than just digging a hole> just to the size I need.> > I am lining a couple people up for estimates, but I think this already> sounds like the are trying to wring a couple days of work out of this> - maybe I am wrong here. I have even have one person decline giving an> estimate altogether. Should this be an easy task for a skilled person> > to dig on a mini-excavator? I was told that if the hole is deeper than> 4', that no person can enter it unless walls are built up.> > Any ideas?> > -Scott, WU2X> _______________________________________________> > > > _______________________________________________> TowerTalk mailing list> TowerTalk at contesting.com> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk> _______________________________________________> > > > _______________________________________________> TowerTalk mailing list> TowerTalk at contesting.com> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk