[TowerTalk] Foundation and ReBar Work

[Bryan Swadener]

In 2012, I installed a new-to-me US Tower TX-472. I had a contractor dig the hole using a combination of manual labor + backhoe. The backhoe operator didn't hear/understand the word "STOP!", and the hole became extra wide & deep. As it turned out, extra deep was good because it allowed me to backfill with 1-1/2" round rock (that worked against the high water table). I sank a sump pump into the rock and kept the hole pumped out. I'm into that work for $1000.

Rebar cost me $200 from a ham friend who is an "artiste" with the stuff. Some sticks of wood allowed us to lower it into the hole.

Concrete cost me $1500 for 5000 psi mix. That included rental of a horizontal line pump. That was coordinated through a carpenter/contractor/ham friend. "Rebarman" brought and used his vibrator.

There were many other costs involved but, IMO, none were suspiciously high. All things considered, I saved a lot of dough. 
vy 73,
Bryan WA7PRC
Photos + text: http://www.tinyurl.com/wa7prc-tower
 
     Date: Fri, 4 Mar 2016 16:43:37 +0000 (UTC)
From: Russ K5ZZR
To: Tower Talk
Subject: [TowerTalk] Foundation and ReBar Work

I installed my new 72' US Tower last year and did the work myself including picking it up in Kansas. The 5'x5'x8' hole was dug for $450 which included spreading the dirt at various places on my 5 acres. I was surprised at how accurate it was also, those guys are good. The rebar I would guess was about $150. The cement cost about $750 so the total must have been near $1,200. No other cost were incurred because I was not in a city. I finished the cement myself with the help of the cement truck driver.Russ K5ZZR