Self Tower Install

8/8/2019 Self Tower Install

1/88

ColusaNETs WISP

Tower Projectwww.do-it-yourself-

tower.com

This presentation chronicles

the complete installation of a150 Self Supporting Tower

including the entire foundationproject.


2/88

This presentation and all photographs:

Copyright, 2003 Rick Kunze, all

rights reserved.

No part of this presentation may be

reproduced or used without permission.


3/88

Topics Covered in this Presentation:

Tower SelectionEngineering Information

Make a Plan

Foundation Preparation

Making the J-Bolt Fixture

J-Bolt and rebar placementPouring the cement (monolithic)

Assembling the Tower Sections

Stacking the Tower Sections


4/88

Official Disclaimer and other boring issues

I am not a licensed contractor nor a licensed engineer.If you embark on a project such as a tower

installation, as is presented here, as well as any other

projects that may appear in the future on www.do-it-

yourself-tower.com, you should seek appropriate

professional advice. Erecting a tower is not a trivial

undertaking. There are issues that must be

engineered by qualified and trained professionals.You can not do this by guessing. A properly

engineered tower will perform as it was designed,

and will ensure maximum safety.DO YOUR HOMEWORK!


5/88

Tower Selection: How much tower do I really need?

A) Figure out how much you can afford to spend on the entire

project for starters. In my case, the tower cost was about half

of the total cost of the entire project. Approximate dollar

amounts for my situation will follow.

B) Find out what weather zone youre in. Get to know your local

building inspectors, theyll know. Pray they will like you.

C) Shop around for towers for a while, paying attention to the

amount of wind load theyll support for your zone, whether ice is

in play, etc. Mine was a 2 carrier tower.

C) Do some simple calculations to determine the amount of loading

(surface area) you THINK you want on the tower. Then, allow

for way more than that.


6/88

Tower Selection: How much tower do I really need?

D) Factor reasonable growth into C, then double it.

E) Double or triple what you came up with in D above.

F) Multiply that by 10.

In other words, it was my intention to put up as much tower as I

could possibly afford. A renter might come along. One renter couldpay for the entire tower over a few years.

My two carrier tower is designed for 2 of those standard issue tri-

angular platforms you see everywhere, each loaded with sector

panels, one at 140 and one at 149 for a total combined allowable

surface area of about 100 square feet as well as a few thousand

pounds of mass. Im in a zone rated at 75MPH maximum wind andno radial ice.


7/88

Engineering Information to get:

I would recommend you acquire a copy of these and/or whatever is

required by your building inspector and/or tower manufacturer.

1) ANSI/TIA/EIA-222-F-1996

Structural Standards for Steel Antenna Towers and Antenna

Supporting Structures.

This document cost me $104.00 downloaded. A quick search led

me to Global Engineering Documents at www.global.ihs.com.Im sure there are other sources too. Search for TIA/EIA-222.

Topics include; wind loading, paint, guys, foundations, climbing,maintenance to name a few. About 115 pages. It specifies the

bolt tightening specifications most importantly. Probably worth

having in any case. Its full of tower related information.


8/88

Engineering Information to get:

I would recommend you acquire a copy of these and/or whatever is

required by your building inspector and/or tower manufacturer.

2) LRFD Specification 94

Specification for Structural Joints Using ASTM A325 or A490

bolts.I found this document at www.boltcouncil.org and it was free, but it

is a version only usable for reference. This document covers bolted

parts, design of bolted connections, tightening specifications and

other accepted procedures you might want to be familiar with. My

tower specified grade A325 bolts. They came with the tower.

3) Rebar placement guidelines.Information on industry standards for the placement of reinforcing

bar in concrete structures.

G i


9/88

Get the drawings and make a plan

1- I placed my PO and made a partial payment in order to obtain

the drawings before starting anything.

2- Once I had the drawings, I decided on location: in the parking

lot right next to the building, the logical place to put it in my case.

Make sketches. Ask for advise from professional sources if youhave to. Do your homework. Ask for help. Hire professionals

when needed.

3- Inquire with planning department regarding set-backs or other

applicable zoning issues if any.

4- Call for underground utilities check, usually free.

5- Get your checkbook ready

6- Check with www.fcc.gov to see if you have to register the tower.


10/88

Foundation Preparation

-or-

Realizing how few friends

you really have.


11/88


12/88


13/88


14/88


15/88


16/88


17/88


18/88


19/88

Making the J-Bolt Fixture


20/88


21/88


22/88


23/88


24/88


25/88


26/88


27/88


28/88


29/88

J-Bolt and ReBar Placement


30/88


31/88


32/88


33/88


34/88


35/88


36/88


37/88


38/88

This is called a standee.

These typically come

from your rebar supplier

and are bent per your

specs. They get tied to the

lower grid to support theupper grid.

These need not be made

of special steel, are notpart of the structure and

dont get inspected.

Be careful when you

specify the dimensions.


39/88


40/88


41/88


42/88


43/88


44/88


45/88


46/88


47/88


48/88

Building Inspector needed at this stage

Y b ildi i ill b bl i ff h


49/88

Your building inspector will probably want to sign off on the

foundation preparation before you go any further. Check with thembefore you get to this point to be safe. DONT POUR CONCRETE

WITHOUT CHECKING WITH YOUR INSPECTOR FIRST!

Special Inspection Required Next

You will probably have to hire a Special Inspector for the nextstage, the pouring of the concrete. Your building inspector will

specify whether this is necessary or not. They take samples of the

cement and test them for overall strength to assure it meets thespecifications prescribed by the tower manufacturer, and they also

act as an independent third party authority as to the grade of rebar

and techniques used during the pour. They were also required afterfinal stacking to verify the torque on the flange bolts in my case.


50/88

Pouring The Cement


51/88


52/88


53/88


54/88


55/88


56/88


57/88


58/88


59/88


60/88


61/88


62/88

Assembly of the Tower

Sections


63/88


64/88


65/88


66/88


67/88


68/88


69/88


70/88


71/88


72/88


73/88


74/88


75/88


76/88


77/88


78/88

Final Stacking of the Sections


79/88


80/88


81/88


82/88


83/88


84/88


85/88


86/88


87/88


88/88