[TowerTalk] My first tower section is not plumb...

[Steve Maki]

Chris,

The forum police have already decided that the thread is closed, so I 
doubt very seriously that your prediction is correct.

BTW, you are in violation sir :)

-Steve K8LX

On 2/16/2016 4:57 PM, Chris Wynn via TowerTalk wrote:

> Heck, I'm one of those lawyers you mentioned and I wouldn't spend
> another second worrying over this!  I can guarantee you that we will
> still be passing this dang thread around MANY years after you
> successfully erect this tower and achieve 5 Band DXCC.  It's 30
> feet......30 feet! Put the antenna up and work some DX!Chris
> WynnN4XFA SEDXCGCGARRL LIFE MEMBER

> On Thu, Feb 11, 2016 at 11:43 PM, Steve Maki<lists at oakcom.org> wrote:
> Douglas,
>
> Oh boy, at the risk of getting all the engineers and lawyers and
> would-be's in a dander, I'll suggest this - with the caveats that I
> don't really know what kind of tower sections you have other than
> your description that it's equivalent to Rohn 25. And I don't know
> whether you have an informed inherent feel for how much lateral
> stress your tower can handle.
>
> But if I had 30' of *guyed* Rohn 25 sticking out of 1/2 cu. yd of
> concrete at a slight angle and for some reason absolutely needed to
> make it plumb, I'd do this:
>
> 1) I'd rig up a ratchet binder (come-along) or 2 in the appropriate
> direction(s) attached to to the top of the bottom section (10' or
> 15' up) and anchored out to solid attachment point(s).
>
> 2) I'd dig out all the way around the foundation.
>
> 3) I'd loosen the guy(s) in the direction(s) the tower is leaning.
>
> 4) I'd tighten the ratchet binder(s) to plumb the tower.
>
> 5) The best back-fill would be additional concrete all around. A
> *little* soupy would be best so it under-fills any new gap under the
> base.
>
> 6) Of course leave the ratchet binders in place and the loosened
> guys loosened until the new concrete is well set.
>
> If your existing concrete is something like 2' x 2' x 3' deep, this
> should work. If it's a lot bigger or wider, it will be more of a
> problem.
>
> Note: Personally I wouldn't worry about a little lean, but everyone
> has their own priorities.