[TowerTalk] Concrete prices

Wed Dec 25 13:56:04 EST 2013

Yeah, I just installed my first antenna tower.  It isa a crank-up/tilt-over. 
A friend and I used my small electric mixer and bags of Ready-Crete.  You 
better be ambitious and handy to do that.  Luckily my friend is 10 yrs or so 
younger than I.  We used my tractor with pallet forks on the FEL to handle 
the pallets of bags and elevate them to the height of the mixere to cut down 
on lifting.  Still, it is a slow tiring process. This was the same week I 
celebrated my 70th birthday.  I have trenched to the next two tower sites 
and am putting in a pair of 4 inch conduits from site to site (141 ft apart 
on centers)  I will be calling the cement company for all pours over about 
1/2 yard in the future. I am learning that just because I can doesn't mean I 
should.

One of the two remaining towers will be a DIY copy of my Hy=Gain Hy=Tower 
using Rohn 25 (4 10's and a 9 top section topped with aluminum tube.. The 
Hy-Gain manual calls for one cubic yard for their version free standing but 
I think I will go larger. It has a tilt base. The other tower is 14 feet on 
centers where the three legs hit the ground.  It was originally on three 
piers about 18 in in dia and 7 feet deep with a section of steel tube 4 inch 
ID 1/4 wall in the piers connecting to the tower legs with bolted together 
welded on flanges .  I will go at least as large in dia and some deeper. 
unless I hit solid rock. I'm pretty sure I can get 6-7 feet before rock. 
This was originally a 100 ft tall tower with a wind generator on it and I'm 
using the bottom 40 ft as a base for a crank-up tilt-over tower to be 
selected later.  I was surprised to see so little concrete under such a 
large tower but a mech eng friend assure me it is fine since I don't intend 
to use its two hinged legs to tilt it over.

I pay about $100 per yard delivered with a short load charge for less than 4 
yards at an independent company.  I will try to pour multiple items at the 
same time to keep from paying a short load charge.  I have the equivalent of 
a small back hoe (not attached to tractor)  for digging holes and can auger 
holes up to 12 inch dia and about 6 ft deep.  I may use multiple piers at 
each tower leg for the 40 ft tower and do them myself rather than a single 
large pier for each leg. My mech eng friend did some calcs and holding power 
isn't a problem as 3 of my piers will hold better than the single one used 
per leg originally.

Patrick

-----Original Message----- 
From: Rex Turvin
Sent: Wednesday, December 25, 2013 9:43 AM
To: Gary \"Joe\" Mayfield ; 'towertalk reflector'
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Concrete prices

On my recent tower project I dug my own foundation and anchor rod holes. Did 
all the work myself. Had 7 yards of 3000PSI concrete delivered. Cost was $88 
a yard. Local concrete hauler has a truck that does the mixing onsite so you 
only pay for what you actually use. This is in Casa Grande AZ
73 NR6M

ex: KF7NMD

Sincerely,

Rex Turvin
www.nr6m.com

________________________________
From: "Gary "Joe" Mayfield" <gary_mayfield at hotmail.com>
To: 'towertalk reflector' <towertalk at contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, December 25, 2013 7:30 AM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Concrete prices

Concrete is a lot cheaper in South Dakota.  4x4x7.5 feet is about 4 1/2
yards (let's say 5 yards) at $1500 that is $300 per yard.

The concrete was the most expensive part of my project too, but it was $120
a yard.

If it were me I'd make a few calls looking for a better price.

You can see my project (including mistakes) here:
http://www.kk0sd.net/hftower/hftower.htm

73,
Joe kk0sd

P.S. I'm an old fat lazy guy...  My shovel and I can dig a lot of hole for
$1000.

-----Original Message-----
From: TowerTalk [mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Mike
Reublin NF4L
Sent: Tuesday, December 24, 2013 12:34 PM
To: towertalk reflector
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Concrete prices

Thanks, Bob.

Sounds like you got a bargain. The base is gonna cost more than the tower
did.

73, Mike NF4L

On Dec 24, 2013, at 12:48 PM, Bob Farkaly <bob at farkaly.com> wrote:

> Mike,
>
> I just had my HG-70HD re-erected here in Knoxville. A local contractor
that
> I found on Craigslist used his backhoe to dig the hole for the base (same
> size as yours). He took away the dirt that was removed from the hole.  I
> bought a new base fixture (think it was about $300). The contractor used
his
> Bobcat to move the tower and base from the far end of my property to the
> selected location. He supplied and paid for the concrete which did not
> require pumping. He helped me get the tower to a vertical position. The
> whole project cost was $1,900.00.
>
> Bob, K9RHY
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TowerTalk [mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of
Mike
> Reublin NF4L
> Sent: 24 December, 2013 9:30 AM
> To: towertalk reflector
> Subject: [TowerTalk] Concrete prices
>
> I want to see if I can get a reasonability check on the price to pour the
> base for my HG-70HD. 4x4x7 1/2 feet. I'm getting the base from HG.
>
> Bid #1. Did hole by hand, bring concrete from street with a power wagon.
> 3000# mix. $1500.00.
>
> Bid #2. Dig hole with "trencher". pump concrete from street, 3000# mix
with
> fibers. $2500.00.
>
> 73 & Merry Christmas,
>
> Mike NF4L
>
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>

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