[TowerTalk] Tower buried section legs -- Buried in Concrete or Below the Concrete?

[Jack Brindle]

The big problem is condensation in the tower legs. It doesn’t matter if water can’t get into the legs, moisture will, and then will condense when the temps drop. That water collects over time and will rust out the leg. Thus, you really want to leave the leg open at the bottom (thus the pea gravel) so the moisture will drain.

- Jack, W6FB


> On Jan 29, 2016, at 4:17 AM, Larry Loen <lwloen at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> The Rohn spec calls for the legs of the bottom section to be buried a few
> inches in pea gravel below the concrete.  My contractor suggests that as
> long as the top is properly sealed, it's overkill and that overall, it's
> better to encase the legs in concrete, protecting them from corrosion from
> that rare day in Arizona that the water levels would reach the bottom of
> the tower.  He suggests that the tower will be adequately sealed on top.
> Soil here is acidic enough that I've been advised not to let the tower
> sections touch the ground for even the short time they are stored here
> awaiting erection.  Even if some got in over the years, rainwater is
> presumably less acidic.
> 
> I don't try to innovate in these matters, but I wonder who is right here.
> 
> Thoughts?
> 
> 
> Larry WO7R
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