[TowerTalk] Square vs Round Holes

[Dino Darling]

Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to have your PEs take the
following data and convert it to a 36" round hole...
http://www.ustower.com/hdx572.pdf

Unlike a light pole that has a 8" - 12" base, this bad boy is 30"+ which
would put the anchors close to the edge of the concrete.  I have a 40'
steel traffic pole in my back yard (LADWP surplus) for use as an antenna
support.  The base is 2.5' square.

I have never had a truck run into any of my towers.  I'm convinced the
tower and/or bolts would fail before the base did.

My "bigger" statement is based on the mass of the base.  A 5' square at
6' has more mass than a 5' circle at 6' (hence the reason for needing to
go deeper).

Personally, I like round holes better!  Can I back ANY of this up with a
degree in engineering?  NOPE!

(p.s. Thank you for posting at the top!  It makes it MUCH easier to
follow the threads as I've already read what you are responding to!)

Dino - K6RIX
dino at k6rix.com


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: Square vs Round Holes
From: "Its from Onion" <aredandgold at msn.com>
Date: Mon, May 12, 2008 2:09 pm
To: "Dino Darling" <dino at k6rix.com>
Cc: "towertalk" <towertalk at contesting.com>

  well there are lots of PE's that disagree.  I have formed hundreds of
holes 36" round X 8 feet with 4 yards of cement and they have held up
for years.
When was the last time a tractor-trailer truck struck your tower and it
stayed up?
 
Also, what basis are you saying the hole would have to be bigger?  I can
provide (and have on here) drawing certified by PE and state contractors
that disagree with your assessment.  
 ----- Original Message ----- 
From: Dino Darling 
To: Its from Onion 
Cc: towertalk 
Sent: Monday, May 12, 2008 4:02 PM
Subject: Square vs Round Holes


-=Since everyone else takes liberties of changing the SUBJECT name of
the thread, let me give it a shot also.=-

"Save on concrete"?  Its not the shape of the hole that matters, but the
size of the foundation. :-)

A 36" hole would need to be deeper, and in my opinion, too small of a
diameter.  Even a 60" hole would need to be deeper to make up for the
loss of the "corners" of a square hole.

Dino - K6RIX
dino at k6rix.com

 -------- Original Message --------
Subject: [TowerTalk] excavator
From: "Its from Onion" <aredandgold at msn.com>
Date: Mon, May 12, 2008 1:49 pm
To: "towertalk" <towertalk at contesting.com>

** Lee George wrote: **

Hi Scott,

Nobody said the hole has to be square. Find a utility pole contractor
that 
has a digger derrick truck with a 36" bit.

ALL OF the traffic light / street light poles in your city have round
holes and you cant knock 
them down with a truck. Trust me, I seen it tried.
Might even save on concrete.

For the life of me cannot see why ham folks love square holes, much
easer to dig round
ones. 

F. Lee George (KE4VYN)
Construction Supervisor (retired)
Traffic Engineering
City of Birmingham