[TowerTalk] Concrete

[David Gilbert]

Your question is pretty vague and lacks information.  If by "concrete 
type", you mean Type I vs Type II vs Type III , etc Portland cement, 
much of that choice depends upon where you live.

Here's a brief description I fund online:

"Portland cement comes in a variety of different types. In the United 
States, these types are classified as Type I, II, III, IV and V.

Type I is ordinary Portland cement, and it is available in white or gray.

Type II is a moderate sulfate resistant cement, important when concrete 
is cast against soil that has moderate sulfate levels.

Type III is a high early strength cement. It is ground finer and reacts 
faster than Type I, so the early strength gains are greater. However, 
the ultimate strength is not higher than Type I. Concrete made with Type 
III will have slightly higher 28 day strengths than concrete made with 
Type I, all else being equal.

Type IV and V are often used in special construction applications where 
high sulfate resistance is required or a low heat of hydration is 
important."

Here in southern Arizona almost all Portland cement used in concrete 
(either by the bag or delivered as concrete in a mixer truck) qualifies 
as Type II due to the high sulfate content of the soil.  I have no idea 
what kind of soil you have at your QTH.

On the other hand, if by "concrete type" you mean something like PSI 
rating, that is usually spec'd by the manufacturer of your tower.  I 
used 3,500 PSI for my tower, but I suspect many folks use 3,000 PSI.  
2,500 PSI is usually as low as you can find, but in my opinion you're 
splitting pennies if you use that.

What size is your tower base?  In my opinion, mixing your own for a 
typical tower base is not a cost effective undertaking unless you have 
some insurmountable access issue that prevents you from bringing in a 
mixer truck.  I've done the cost comparisons in the past.  Bagged 
concrete mix is not a savings, and combining your own sand, aggregate, 
and cement in a mixer doesn't save you that much ... and that's from 
someone who owns a 9 cubic foot mixer and has done a lot of it.

73,
Dave   AB7E


On 8/25/2019 7:42 PM, Glenn Haffly wrote:
> For those who mixed and poured their own tower bases , What type concrete
> did you use?
>
> Thanks , Glenn
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