[TowerTalk] More crank-up questions

[Patrick Greenlee]

Do you think maybe that attention to concrete base details may be one reason 
failures occur elsewhere?  Sure, tower companies are risk adverse and may go 
a tad HD to avoid legal problems but careful doesn't get you hurt.

Patrick AF5CK

-----Original Message----- 
From: Ken
Sent: Sunday, December 01, 2013 9:55 AM
Cc: TOWERTALK at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] More crank-up questions

I am curious.  All this talk about concrete strength, rebar, etc.   Is 
anyone aware of a tower base failure due to strength of the concrete or lack 
of rebar?  (Except for damage from a lightning strike.)  From what I hear, 
the vast majority of tower failures are 20-30' above the base.  Base 
failures? Are they really an issue?

As I mentioned, 40 years ago, little was said about base concrete, rebar, 
etc.   OTOH, 40 years ago, 60' was a big tower.  Maybe that's part of the 
issue.

Ken WA8JXM


On Dec 1, 2013, at 10:29 AM, Patrick Greenlee wrote:

> Mike, Be careful. Don't let anyone add excessive water to make the mix 
> easier to work with or self leveling or whatever.  That lowers the 
> strength irrespective of what the strength would have been (how many bag 
> mix.)
> You can have the delivery guy add a water reducer plasticizer shortly 
> before pouring (but do allow time for it to thoroughly mix in) as the 
> additive does not have a long pot life. This additive makes the mix act as 
> if you had added water. It makes the mix easier to work, easier to get the 
> voids filled for good reinforcing steel to concrete contact.  This 
> additive does not reduce the strength of the mix. Allows you to use the 
> optimum water for strength while being easy to flow easy to work.  The 
> additive is not expensive.
>
> Good luck to you, I get a little pain in my back just thinking about the 
> job ahead of you.

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