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Re: [TowerTalk] Anchor Bolts

To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Anchor Bolts
From: "Roger (K8RI) on TT" <K8RI-on-TowerTalk@tm.net>
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 02:44:38 -0400
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>

I mean no disrespect to any one, but I get a queasy feeling any time I see engineers making changes that require improvisation, be it mechanical, electrical, or chemical.

I worked in the chemical industry from a technician to a degreed CS professional.. I've seen some pretty spectacular mistakes be engineers and project managers in all of these fields. Fortunately no one was killed, but some were pretty well banged up, including one guy blown through a blow out panel and traveled another good 60 feet. I've seen grounding straps vaporized with enough force to bend 7 foot tall X 3 ft wide steel doors of 1/8th thick steel with 2" shoulders and rolled edges to bend those doors 2 feet in the center and it was loud. I've seen people go flying after chemical residue detonated, but that stuff was all proprietary. All I can say I saw it, it was spectacular, and no one was killed.

That no one was killed or seriously injured was most likely due to the stringent safety regulations and protocols we had to follow. There were some short hospital stays, damaged hearing, and a couple cases of extreme nerves. I actually felt safer as a tech working with the stuff than a guy with a degree that had to be around it.

As hams, be it climbing, or construction, no one "forces" us to follow the rules. We can wing it, or best guess, but often we'd do better to ask a professional.

Were it me, "and it's not": First, I'd make sure the holes were deep enough to provide the required holding strength. The larger the hole in the base material, the weaker the holding strength, even with bushings. "IF and I emphasize the "IF" the amount and depth of the base material is sufficient for strength, AND the concrete mix is strong enough (depends on concrete, water, and aggregate ratio as well as cure) I'd make, or have made some sufficiently long threaded bushings to provide the desired clearance. I would present these figures to a construction engineer for his blessings. I'd have sufficient confidence in my metal work, but would seek outside qualified help for the concrete and holes. As long as we have bushings, I'd weld the bottom end of the bolt into the bushing.

Those holes have to be a depth to provide the required strength with that diameter hole! THEN the epoxy has to be strong enough with the required clearance in a hole that big.

73 and good luck,

Roger (K8RI)

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