[TowerTalk] Looking for some foundation advice

[Mal Speer]

About 5yrs ago I put up a TX455. Actually I had it put up by a professional while I was still living up in NY. My QTH is in NC. When he tried to dig the hole they couldn't get down more than 4'. Instead of digging a 6' deep by 4' by4'. They dug a 6' by 6' by 4' deep. I am no engineer, but I don't think that is just as good. I don't think that it is the weight of the concrete that holds the tower up I think that it is the amount below ground compared to the amount above ground. I was pissed when I was told about this. If I was there I would have gone into the hole with a pick and shovel and dug another 2' into the solid clay we have here. I have to say though the tower has been through a few pretty good storms and one hurricane with no ill effects.
Also my tower is 300' from my shack. I have a 3el SteppIR 6 to 20 meters and an a trapped inverted V for 40 and 75 meters. I have 300 feet of bury flex for each. Both antennas work great.
They have these water cannon things that the cable guys use to shoot lines under walks, maybe you could get something like that to get a line under the road. 
 Sorry about that I should have hit reply to all, the first time.

73 de Mal WA2TWA


-----Original Message-----
From: TowerTalk <towertalk-bounces at contesting.com> On Behalf Of Dick's
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2020 7:05 PM
To: Tim Duffy <k3lr at k3lr.com>
Cc: TowerTalk at contesting.com; Don Solberg <dsolberg8132 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Looking for some foundation advice

I installed the same tower but in soil a lot more stable. A 300’ run is a long way and your costs will go up as more expensive hardline might be required. Plus you might have to deal with local officials to dig under road.

Have you considered contacting a structural engineer to see what additional bracing would be required? For instance, maybe pounding in a few small steel I-beams into the sand just at the waterline down in a hole? This would provide anti-torque bracing due to high winds on the tower. Supply the engineer with the original engineering calculations that US Tower will provide. They sent them to me, free of charge.

Dick, K0CAT

Sent from my iPhone 

Richard (Dick) Blumenstein
         
E-Mail:  rcblumen at centurylink.net




> On May 27, 2020, at 6:52 PM, Tim Duffy <k3lr at k3lr.com> wrote:
> 
> Hi Don:
> 
> I recommend that customers consult with the engineers at the tower 
> company when they are thinking about making changes to the designed 
> specifications for the foundations.
> 
> There is no room for mistakes or an unsafe installation. Call US Tower 
> and let them guide you.
> 
> 73
> Tim K3LR
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TowerTalk [mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of 
> Don Solberg
> Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2020 6:45 PM
> To: towertalk at contesting.com
> Subject: [TowerTalk] Looking for some foundation advice
> 
> I was planning on purchasing a used US Tower HDX-572, 72 ft crank up 
> tower.  It looks like I may have run into a problem with the 
> foundation.  I had some trenching done today for a new well and 
> discovered that the ground water level is just slightly lower than 
> 6ft.  US Tower specifications call from a 7.5 foot deep hole. My soil 
> is mostly sand, so in addition to not being able to go down 7.5 ft, I 
> probably also want to make the foundation wider.
> 
> Is it practical to put up the 72ft tower with a wider pad, or should I 
> look at getting a smaller 55ft tower?  Another alternative is find 
> another location for the tower.  I have about a 10 ft hill on another 
> property that I own across a gravel road.  This would most likely 
> eliminate the ground water problem but I would have about a 300 ft 
> cable run and I would have to trench across the town's gravel road.
> 
> I am looking for recommendations.
> 
> 73,
> 
> Don K9AQ
> _______________________________________________
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> 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
_______________________________________________



_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk at contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk