[TowerTalk] Digging a 5'x5'x7' hole in sandy soil

[Cqtestk4xs at aol.com]

Living in FL, I am quite familiar with sand.  Every QTH I've  had in FL had 
sand for "soil"
 
Walls falling down when I was digging were not an issue when I dug  for 
bases...on the first day.  However, if I let the sand sit for a few  days so it 
began to dry out, the walls did collapse.
 
I'm not sure if that is what you are talking about.  If you  dig, and the 
walls fall down as you dig, you have some really dry sandy  soil....unlike 
what I have experienced.
 
My current station needed LOTS of holes dug on the order of what  you have 
and in order to shore up the hole walls I constructed frames made  of 
chipboard (used for sheathing for roofs) and spruce 2 x 4s.  I  backfilled to 
support the walls. and then had the truck come to  pour.
 
The chipboard will soon rot and will be consumed by termites  as will the 
spruce.  Any wood not pressure treated faces the same  fate in FL.
 
Unless you want to go the expense of an engineer, I would suggest  this 
method.  Just to be on the safe side you might make the hole a little  larger.  
Remember the manufacturers of tower products (yours, Rohn etc) do  the CYA. 
 How many guys out there have more antenna on the tower than Rohn  
specifies?  From installations I've seen...lots.  Rohn also makes  recommendations 
of soil etc.  I doubt mine would have been standard  soil.
 
Bill K4XS/KH7XS 
 
 
In a message dated 8/14/2013 2:00:18 A.M. Coordinated Universal Time,  
richard at karlquist.com writes:



On 8/13/2013 6:18 PM, john at kk9a.com wrote:
> With no  callsign in your email address or post it is difficult to guess
> where  you are located.  My previous house Illinois had sandy soil, but  
it
> was compact and stayed together when I dug holes.  If your  ground is 
like a
> sandbox the 5x5x7 hole is likely  insufficient.
>

There was a recent thread about the EZ Way Wonder  Ground Post.
Some people said you were supposed to bury it in sand.   Are
there "loose sands" and "firm sands"?  Sand is sand, right?
I  don't know what to  assume.

Rick
N6RK
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