[TowerTalk] Anchor bolts?

jimlux jimlux at earthlink.net
Sun Mar 25 15:52:57 EDT 2018


On 3/25/18 11:41 AM, Fred Keen via TowerTalk wrote:
> 
> Methinks there is a mixture here of 'quickbolts' and 'anchor in when concrete is poured bolts'.
>   

Chemical anchors (the industry term for glued in bolts) and "poured/cast 
in place" anchors are about the same strength. Some engineers actually 
prefer the chemical anchor - the adhesive engages the threads since it's 
more fluid and less viscous, so there's more "contact area" between the 
body of the concrete and the bolt itself.

They also like it because you don't have to have as tight a tolerance on 
the concrete work lateral position.  If the concrete's a bit off in 
position, it doesn't matter, because you lay the template (or the actual 
base) down and use it to guide where the holes get drilled.

You also don't have to worry about the bolts moving (or getting out of 
plumb) while you're pouring the concrete.

Of course, it costs more - the adhesive costs something, the drilling 
costs something, and you DO have to make sure your drilling is straight 
and plumb.

If you're inheriting a legacy design from 1950 (when reliable cheap 
adhesives didn't exist), or you're concerned about reducing cost to the 
absolute minimum, cast in place bolts are what you'd use. Or, if there's 
some peculiarity of the location - maybe you're pouring the concrete 
under water. (although I'll bet the chemical anchor folks have a 
solution for that, too)





>      On Sunday, March 25, 2018, 1:11:19 PM CDT, Jim Thomson <jim.thom at telus.net> wrote:
>   
>   Date: Sat, 24 Mar 2018 11:51:44 -0700
> From: "Steve Jones" <n6sj at earthlink.net>
> To: "'Hans Hammarquist'" <hanslg at aol.com>
> Cc: <towertalk at contesting.com>
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Achor bolts?
> Message-ID: <002701d3c3a1$27fd50a0$77f7f1e0$@earthlink.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
> 
> 
> 
> <My 89' US Tower crankup has 2 anchor bolts at each leg, a total of 6 bolts.
> <Each bolt is 1 -1/8" diameter and 27" long of ASTM grade 36 steel.
> 
> <I think I'd trust US Tower's licensed PE wet-stamped drawing before
> <Facebook!
> 
> <73,
> <Steve
> <N6SJ
> 
> ##  I have the  5000 lb, old style UST  HDX-689  89’ tall tower.  It uses  12 x anchor bolts,  4 per  corner.
> Each group of  4 x rods are in a square config, aprx 5.25 inches  C to C.
> Each anchor rod is  1.125 inch diam x 60 inches long.  Each rod has a 6 inch thread on each end. Anchor rods
> come in 3 x different astm strengths.... and each top is color coded.  The 36 ksi are blue.  The  57 ksi are green,
> and the 103 ksi are red.  I used the  red / 103 ksi versions.  You require a full 6 inches of threaded rod  sticking
> out of the concrete  for the mating 640 lb steel base..which is  1 inch thick.  The new version of the same 89 ft
> tower uses  W bracing, weighs less, at only 3250 lbs,  but uses even bigger diam anchors....  1.25 inch diameter.
> 
> ##  UST specified  36 ksi rods that are only 36 inches long.... which leaves only 30 inches embedded in the concrete.
> The finished  concrete top  can be any where from flush to the lawn, to a max of 8 inches above the lawn. If the finished
> concrete is  8 inches above the lawn, the bottoms of each anchor rod are only  22 inches below the lawn.
> 
> ## My base is 6.9 ft x 6.9 ft x 9 ft deep.  Aprx 5.5 inches above the lawn,  17 yards in total.
> 5075 psi concrete used.  Seems silly to me to have a base thats 9 ft deep, with anchor rods that are only  22-30 in  below
> lawn level. So I had portland bolt  custom make the anchor rods longer, 60 inches, and also had em turn a 6 inch thread on
> each end of each rod. Then had them use the 103 ksi material. Then had the local metal shop fabricate 3 x identical plates for me.
> Each plate is  9 inches square by .375 inches thick, with 4 x holes punched out.  One plate at the bottom of each 4 x rod assy.
> 1 13/16 wrench +  deep impact socket used to tighten the  8 x nuts that hold each plate in place.  The  9x9 plate increases the
> pull out capacity through the roof, compared to using either nothing, or perhaps a stack of washers.
> 
> ##  Per the engineers I talked to, if the rods are not embedded deep enough, and the base lets go,  you end up with whats called...
> base blow out.  Looks like a real shallow angled  funnel, no deeper than the embedded rod depth and aprx the same dimensions
> as the top of the finished  concrete.
> 
> ##  I also re-designed the  rebar cage, used  50 %  more vert rebars, 9 inches inside to inside, around the perimeter.  24 x 1 inch rebars in total.
> A lot more 15mm one piece horizontals used, since there is a horizontal for every 6 inchs of  embedded anchor rod, then its  every 12 inches after that.
> Also installed a horizontal grid of re-bars, one just below the lawn level..and a 2nd grid, just below the  three  9 x 9 plates.
> 
> ##  UST towers are not ICE rated, nor is the tower, nor the oem UST  base, seismic rated.  Being in a residential area, typ postage stamp sized lot,  87 x 115,  the concrete
> base install is a one shot deal.  You dont get a 2nd chance to do it right.  With the  .375 thick chromolly mast on top, + ants, prop pitch, cabling, 2 x bearing plates, mast steps,
> etc, etc, the total weight is aprx 5500 lbs.  The ONLY thing connecting the  5500 lb tower to the 70,000 lb concrete  base is the anchor rods !!  And some idiot  on face book
> wants to use  $3.00  home depot anchor rods, wtf?  Anchor rods are the LAST place  you want to cut corners.....and...save money.
> 
> ##  IF you are on acreage,  and the tower falls over..and knocks over a few bails of hay, go for it.
> 
> Later....  Jim  VE7RF
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>    
> _______________________________________________
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
> 



More information about the TowerTalk mailing list