[TowerTalk] Tower Base Removal

[Roger (K8RI) on TT]

On 1/18/2014 6:11 PM, Richard (Rick) Karlquist wrote:
> On 1/18/2014 2:49 AM, Mike VE3YF wrote:
>
>> A wealth of information here. I will be contacting Dexpan on Monday and
>> will order 2 boxes of their product. I will still use the hired help to
>
> The vendor says the concrete must have room to expand.
> This sounds exactly like what you don't have with a
> tower base poured in undisturbed earth.  Your concrete
> has no rebar, but in the general case with rebar, this
> magic stuff would certainly help, but it is unclear
> how you would get the broken pieces (still attached by
> rebar) out of the hole.  Even without rebar, I don't
> see how you get a hold of the pieces to lift them out.
> Good luck.
>

Old style post hole digger for smaller pieces. I assume there are long 
handled "grippers" similar to the tongs blacksmiths use.  Lots of ways 
to remove the stuff.  I've seen large ones that grip with the pull that 
could pull thousands of pounds. I have no idea as to what might be 
available in your area.

BTW where the suction is concerned in pulling out of moist soil. I had a 
post supporting a 12' dish set in maybe 10 or 12 bags of quickcrete. 
IIRC that is well less than a yard. We used a pair of 4000# engine 
hoists on opposite sides, with each set on a pair of  4 X 4s to lift it 
out.  We reached the point of a substantial bend in the arms and the 
concrete had not moved.  I took a garden hose and used it to drill down 
along side of the concrete on 4 sides.  I was near the bottom of the 
concrete on the 4th side when it started to move with a very loud 
sucking sound as the engine hoist arms straightened.  It was an easy 
lift after that.  The suction with the much larger base would probable 
exceed the weight of the concrete substantially, but by how much depends 
on the soil composition and moisture content.

As a side note, undisturbed soil is firm, but not solid.  It can stand a 
surprising amount of expansion.

73

Roger (K8RI)
> Rick N6RK
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