The guy who dug and poured the base for my tower used a length of steel culvert
(4' dia x 10' len) as a form. He covered one end with a piece of plywood, stood
it up in the well the hole had turned into and pushed it down to the bottom
with the back hoe bucket. Ingenious. I thought.
73, Mike NF4L
> On Jan 20, 2015, at 6:14 PM, Roger (K8RI) on TT <K8RI-on-TowerTalk@tm.net>
> wrote:
>
> On 1/20/2015 10:34 AM, Patrick Greenlee wrote:
>
> It can be done that way and is often easier, but construction sites often
> have their own way of doing things. The soil around here is often very moist
> (read, sloppy. The heavy concrete casting "sometimes" can force its way
> through the muck that rapidly fills the bottom portion of the hole. so for
> those conditions its easier, or even the only way.. A form in the hole
> defeats the purpose of the concrete.
>
> My front yard would be ideal for boring the hole and casting in place. It'd
> never work in the back yard. In the NW corner, holes are temporary. They
> last long enough that the casting could displace 2 or even three feet of mud
> "if you hurry" but would be questionable as to what you'd get with a pour.
>
> As an example: I dug the holes for the guy anchors for my 100' 45G. with the
> intention of making and installing forms the next morning and doing the 3
> pours in the afternoon. The problem was that the next morning there were
> only two holes and a 10' wide depression, about a foot deep where the hole
> had been for the NW guy anchor. It would have worked if we had, had the form
> ready and dropped it in the hole. We might have had to pump out the water
> but the hole would have still been there. We didn't even need a form for the
> South hole.
>
> My tower base http://www.rogerhalstead.com/ham_files/tower11.htm Undisturbed
> soil was easily done!
> and the hole that needed to be dug again
> http://www.rogerhalstead.com/ham_files/tower12.htm It looks dry, but believe
> me, it was only dry on top. It's almost like very wet Peat on the side
> toward the camera.
>
> We had no choice except to use a form, but Id make the forms differently if
> doing it again. I'd set it up so as the pour filled the form the internal
> braces could easily be pulled out. Getting those sides out was a real PITA.
> I didn't worry about the braces. With the forms back-filled before the pour
> and nature took car of at least half of that, the sides could have easily
> been pulled up.after the concrete set.
>
> OTOH if doing it again, I'd spend the money and go with a large crank-up had
> I known I'd no longer be able to climb 7 years later..
>
> The concrete in slop is still more effective than a single ground rod in slop.
>
> 73
>
> Roger (K8RI)
>
>>
>> On 1/20/2015 2:46 AM, Roger (K8RI) on TT wrote:
>>> The ones I have seen are formed by using a large cardboard tube as a form
>>> to cast the ground rod in concrete. (remove the form before planting the
>>> ground!) An auger digs a hole of the proper diameter to the proper depth
>>> and the encased rod is lowered into place. Not cheap, but very effective.
>>
>>
>> I don't get it. Why not augur the hole and place the rebar in it (with
>> proper clearance from dirt contact) and pour concrete into the hole? Why
>> complicate the process, adding the extra hassle and expense of the Sonatube.
>> The hole in the ground is a "wash", needed either way but no heavy
>> equipment needed to pick up the formed rebar filled concrete cylinder and
>> you don't buy and destroy a big sonatube (cylindrical cardboard form
>> typically used to extend a pier hole above grade and similar.) Also it is
>> much easier to pour concrete into a hole in the ground than to fill a big
>> sonatube.
>>
>> Patrick NJ5G
>> _______________________________________________
>>
>>
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>
>
> --
>
> 73
>
> Roger (K8RI)
>
>
> ---
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