converting a built in place 4 leg tower to tilt up Doing some calculations..

[tomw]

OK, folks. This is one of those "shoulda, coulda" things. Several years back Wolvenar, JacquesM and Jacques friend from the Netherlands Hans came down here and "helped" me build this 60 foot water pumper tower in place. Oh, hell, they built it, I just watched. Well, in those days I could climb. Those days are over.

I want to convert this thing to tilt down and relocate it further up the rise from the edge of the timber.

I need to get some ball park figures for the expected stresses on this if I want to tilt it down. Or perhaps to just lay it down using a backhoe and then move it to its new location?

The thing is made mainly from 2.5" &2" angle iron.

Materials list near as I can figure without climbing it:

240 feet of 3/16" Angle Iron (leg steel)
200 feet of 2" X 1/8" Angle Iron (cross ties) The bottom ones are this size but they get smaller as they go up.
300 feet of 3/8" rod (cross braces)
300# of top steel. Wild guess on the high side.
She has a 10 foot base which sits on top of Railroad Ties planted 5 feet deep and about 3.5 high.


Any of you engineering types tell me what this thing weighs approximately?

I know it all easily fit in my pickup broken down. In fact 5 or 6 would in pieces. This is pretty much all of it in a pile, less the upper iron work for the mast and a catwalk 2 views same pile Base RR ties in background.:





Looked like this before I took it apart to straighten some steel that was bent and paint it. We (2 men) lifted it onto a car trailer one end at a time and clamped it down for the 10 mile trip home:



I do have a nearby oak that is taller than it is to pull from so I can pull from higher up to let it down by tilting without rigging a gin pole.

I would much prefer to pick it up somehow like with a loader or backhoe and set it down if that seems possible?

The turbine is off of it so now is a good time to get this done. Due to changes in how we use the crop land I can set it up another 100 feet up the rise in much cleaner air.

If I get it on the ground I can upgrade it to take one of my bigger turbines.

OK guys fire away but please don't laugh.

Tom

[tomw]

I did some looking around and found some figures for what the steel should weigh and I come up with a rough figure of about 1400# all in.

I have a plan coming together on "how" but want to be sure my 1500# grip hoist is up to the task.

I think it will be, especially with a 2:1 reduction snatch block setup. I have a spool of cable that probably has enough on it for the lift rigging.

Tower top to 30 foot gin pole wire needs approx 68 feet.

About 90 feet for the lifting cable to grip hoist at 2:1 reduction.

Just the bits I "think" I have figured out. Actual lifting force to move it dry has me kind of stumped. I think it is well under 500# but I was asleep or hung over the day they covered that in college a few decades ago, I guess.

Thanks.

Tom

[Wolvenar]

From what I remember I am not to sure how much extra moving it up the hill would help. I'm am wondering how much gain you may have compared to wire loss, and if that makes it worth the extra effort.


As mentioned in IRC by Ron, I also would build a base for it.
I am also wondering if a a set of 4 guy wires that are somewhat loose within the tower diagonally from the four corners bottom to a higher point make help with some stresses add a bit more piece of mind. That tower will have plenty of torque on its center when a decent sized genny is up  top. If the tower starts to warp these would then tighten and help with the load.


1             2


3             4         

So cable from base of 1, to as high as possible for effect on 4, and so on.


It may be overkill, and may not be needed, but I am always like that.
I have never tilted up one of those pumpers,  so take my opinion for whatever it might be worth.


As much as I don't think a real move is needed I am wondering if your somewhat crowded for space where you are to make this a tip down where it is.

This is an old image, and its already looking rather like its a tight fit without wires across your road ( unless you lay it down towards the road).


Is this space bigger than it seems?

[tomw]

The space is bigger than that makes it appear. The new location is behind and to the left from the camera location in that picture. It seems to be another 20 feet higher than the area it is on now and 300 feet further on wire. I have a hunk of triplex that will bridge the gap so no worry on cable.

The trees on the far side in that photo have grown taller than the tower since it was built.

The proposed location is about 100 feet in front of the truck in this photo. Right off the far corner of the fence line.



It falls off towards the turbines but not much. Took my hand transit out and the area is nearly 20 feet higher than current location.

And, as this photo shows the trees are at the height of the catwalk I added.

Tom

[tomw]

Sadly, I am getting little feedback on this.

I am coming up with a plan as I ponder it but had hoped for some input from those here who have experience so I don't miss the elephant in the room.

I guess I will just sort it out on my own. I am used to that.

Thanks anyway. 

Tom