[TowerTalk] Guy anchors for AB-577

[John Langdon]

We used to use these for installing small wind turbines (2500 pounds and 8+
meter blades turning at 100+ rpm with significant projected area, see
https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy13osti/56500.pdf for details of one
installation). AB Chance has "distributors" who install these things - not
cheap, but they have extensive soil surveys and engineering tables and when
installed to a specified torque they give you a specific anchor strength to
satisfy building permit and wind survival specs. A guyed tower with these
anchors was usually cheaper than the alternative such as Rohn SSV.

73 John N5CQ


-----Original Message-----
From: TowerTalk [mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Shawn
Donley
Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2018 4:20 PM
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Guy anchors for AB-577

Depending on your location, time of year can make all the difference when
installing screw anchors.   I used some Hubble/AB Chance "No-Wrench" screw
anchors with a 8" diameter helix and 66" long rod.


https://www.hubbell.com/hubbellpowersystems/en/Products/Power-Utilities/Anch
oring-Foundations/Helical-Anchors-Piles/No-Wrench-Screw-Anchor/No-Wrench-Anc
hor/p/1915218


Tried to get them down into my ground of heavy clay/sand mix in early
summer.   What a job !.   I had a buddy help.  A big fellow (think NFL
lineman) and we still could not get one anchor fully in.  But early the next
spring when the frost was gone, it was still cool, and the ground was soft
under foot, I managed to get the problem anchor fully in by myself along
with a couple of others.  Sometimes you have to go in a quarter turn, back
it off a half and then drive down again.  Maybe tree roots, not sure.   Much
easier in the spring but still a hard job that I would not want to repeat.


If you can get your local power company to come out and put them in with
their hydraulic tools (same as the ones they use to bore a hole for a power
pole) that's the way to go.  In my case, the anchor spots were in the woods
and no way for a truck to get back there.


There's even a portable hydraulic installation tool for situations like I
had.   WARNING.  If you've huffed and puffed to put screw anchors in by
hand, watching this video might make you feel sick.


http://videos.hubbellpowersystems.com/detail/videos/anchors---utility/video/
5062658445001/chance-portable-anchor-installer---hubbell-power-systems


I saw some of our local electrical co-op lineman having lunch and asked them
if they might stop by with one of these  portable installers.   Got the deer
in the headlights look and after explaining what it was, and after listening
to a string of cuss words, I learned that their company had no such device
and they had no idea such a thing even existed.  If they had to install a
pole anchor where they could not get the truck, they had to put it in my
hand with a long bar and muscle just like us.
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