[TowerTalk] DIGGING A HOLE WITH A BACKHOE

[Chuck]

On 5/7/2011 9:54 AM, Jim Lux wrote:

I called my local Rural Electric Company and they sent out an auger 
truck and they had the 4 holes dug in a matter of minutes....... 1 for 
the Rohn 45G tower and 3 guy-anchor post holes 8' deep.  It was VERY 
cheap too.... Like $60.  Since the tower is in an open field, I just 
spread the dirt wherever and it disappeared into the soil in a matter of 
a couple years.

Chuck  KØTVD


> that's a fairly popular way to do bases of things (traffic lights, etc.)
>    here in southern California: minimum disruption of the surroundings,
> and compatible with working on a hillside.  Historically, it's been more
> expensive to have a tall skinny hole drilled than to have a big cube
> dug, but that changes.
>
> You need to figure out how deep to drill, too.  That depends on what the
> function of the base is.  A guyed tower is resisting down forces mostly,
> and a little bit of shear.  A self supporter has overturning forces
> trying to lever the base up out of the ground.
>