gsgitu2
join:2005-09-01
Defiance, OH
| tower nuts and bolts
asking a serious question here, in anyones professional opinion, do the nuts and bolts in the pictures need to be replaced? i forgot to get a pic of the whole tower. also where would i get nuts and bolts for this? and what kind do i use? it is an old sheriff tower, 3 legs, self supporter, about 165 ft. thanks |
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Rhaas
Premium
join:2005-12-19
Bernie, MO
1 edit | IMO no they don't need replaced - except for maybe the one covered by tape? I cant see a nut on that bolt. You can take (if you can get it out) a bolt out and check for corrosion on the shank. If there is little to no corrosion - aside from surface rust, me personally I would leave it be.
As far as what type of bolts, a grade 5 or 8 will suffice. A grade 8 bolt will have a higher sheer capacity.
I'm by no means an engineer though, hopefully someone else will come along and correct me if I am wrong.
Edit - I do suggest at minimum spraying the bolts with some cold-galv to help cut down on further rusting. |
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AMD Phreak
Premium
join:2003-12-14 | reply to gsgitu2
Wow...
Is that tower located near an incinerator or something?
You might want to have a tower engineer inspect it for safety sake. |
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kewlkeed
Grouch
Premium
join:2005-02-05
Knowlton, QC | reply to gsgitu2
I think you could try and convince me to staple various body parts to a wall, before you could convince me to un-do bolts on a tower while climbing it.
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dgilbert
Good Bye My Friend
Premium,MVM
join:2002-06-15
none
clubs:
| on that style tower the bolts main purpose is to keep the upper leg from sliding down and eventually splitting. as long as you don't take them all out at once it is USUALLY fine.
but if it were me i would get a pro to come do it. of course, i would not be climbing in the 1st place though!
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Lack of Preparation on YOUR Part does NOT Constitute an Emergency on Mine! |
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shorthairedp
join:2005-11-21
united state
| reply to gsgitu2
i can see my house
Id say call the closest tower dealer, they will inspect it for you dirt cheap.
Youre in a real pickle of you pull a bolt and the tower shifts, the only options at that point are hiring a crane to lift it up so you can line the holes up, reaming it our (bad idea) using a smaller bolt (worse idea) leaving it (worst idea, if the tower fails, you are personally liable at that point) |
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TomS_
debugger it
Premium,MVM
join:2002-07-19
Australia
1 edit | said by shorthairedp  :Youre in a real pickle of you pull a bolt and the tower shifts Thats why you only remove a single bolt at a time, right?
Do it on a calm day with no wind, and you should be fine.
But yes, if youre not sure, get a pro in to do it.
But in my not-so-expert oppinion, there doesnt appear to be much wrong. Just looks like some surface rust to me. It they had started to show signs of degradation I'd start to get worried, but these appear to be in relatively good condition. Some even appear as though theyve been greased in the past (they look blackish in colour). |
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superdog
I Need A Drink
Premium,MVM
join:2001-07-13
Lebanon, PA
| reply to AMD Phreak
said by AMD Phreak :Wow... Is that tower located near an incinerator or something? You might want to have a tower engineer inspect it for safety sake. The exterior has been exposed to a lot of acid type rain, causing the pitting and strange looking surface. It is not affecting the tower structurally. I have seen and been on other galvanized towers that appear the same way, although they were down south, close to the ocean.
Anyway, taking out one bolt at a time will not affect the structural integrity if removed for a short period of time. You could remove one bolt on every support and the tower won't drop.
What does concern me is that in the one picture, it appears as though someone with a MIG welder who didn't know what they were doing worked on that tower, although it could also be a short piece of cable sticking out too?
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»www.wavecrazy.net
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gsgitu2
join:2005-09-01
Defiance, OH
| reply to gsgitu2
hank guys. sorry i didnt get back sooner. i have actually replaced bolts before, i climbed to the top section of a similar tower and the guy had put one size too small bolts in and the whole top section shifted when i leaned back. interestingly, i found a brown substance in my pants later that night. sounds like at worst i might suggest to the tower owner to have someone, "A Pro", inspect them and give their opinion. have a great day, off to another tower  |
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smeghead
join:2009-02-11 | reply to gsgitu2
Yeah looks like your normal oxidation in our industrialized world. It doesnt look like they are rusted through. If you own the tower yes it wouldn't hurt to get a pro inspect it. It doesn't look that bad though. |
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