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Cured concrete weighs about 3600 pounds per cubic yard depending on the actual content and reinforcing. My base therefore weighs about 20,000 lbs. give or take. Not at all unreasonable for a free standing tower designed to support 52 sq.ft. of wind loading. It is a Trylon Titan T-500 series.Anyone that is used to guyed towers is often amazed at what it takes to install a free standing tower PROPERLY.All a guyed tower needs is something that will support the weight of the tower and the downward force exerted by the guys. The thing is not so much the weight as it is the area and more importantly the depth of the foundation which should be below the frost level.. This all adds up to a great weight. There is NO WAY a reasonably tall free standing tower will stay up with only a single cubic yard of cement in the base.The leverage exerted on the base is just far too great. It will literally up-end the concrete block. I know of one 64 foot high tower where the owner went cheap on the base. After a good old fashion nor'easter the tower was leaning about two or three feet out of line. The Delhi tower was still straight and the antenna (PDL-2) survived but the base began to lift and rotate in the hole causing a permanent lean. It remained up for a few years after and then was taken down when the operator got out of radio.You can shun the idea all you want about the size of required bases for free standing towers but until you look at the physics of it and read up on the way things should be done you will never fully understand what is going on and the difference between free standing and guyed towers. They are like night and day in their installation requirements and hence both have their advantages and disadvantages. The greatest advantage a free standing tower has is smaller footprint,no guy wires spread out, and no guys to interfere with antenna installations. They do tend to be more expensive however. Personally I prefer free standing and would never own a guyed tower for at least the two reasons I just mentioned about the guys.

<blockquote data-quote="Captain Kilowatt" data-source="post: 454344" data-attributes="member: 39"><p>Cured concrete weighs about 3600 pounds per cubic yard depending on the actual content and reinforcing. My base therefore weighs about 20,000 lbs. give or take. Not at all unreasonable for a free standing tower designed to support 52 sq.ft. of wind loading. It is a Trylon Titan T-500 series.Anyone that is used to guyed towers is often amazed at what it takes to install a free standing tower PROPERLY.All a guyed tower needs is something that will support the weight of the tower and the downward force exerted by the guys. The thing is not so much the weight as it is the area and more importantly the depth of the foundation which should be below the frost level.. This all adds up to a great weight. There is NO WAY a reasonably tall free standing tower will stay up with only a single cubic yard of cement in the base.The leverage exerted on the base is just far too great. It will literally up-end the concrete block. I know of one 64 foot high tower where the owner went cheap on the base. After a good old fashion nor&#039;easter the tower was leaning about two or three feet out of line. The Delhi tower was still straight and the antenna (PDL-2) survived but the base began to lift and rotate in the hole causing a permanent lean. It remained up for a few years after and then was taken down when the operator got out of radio.You can shun the idea all you want about the size of required bases for free standing towers but until you look at the physics of it and read up on the way things should be done you will never fully understand what is going on and the difference between free standing and guyed towers. They are like night and day in their installation requirements and hence both have their advantages and disadvantages. The greatest advantage a free standing tower has is smaller footprint,no guy wires spread out, and no guys to interfere with antenna installations. They do tend to be more expensive however. Personally I prefer free standing and would never own a guyed tower for at least the two reasons I just mentioned about the guys.</p></blockquote><p></p>

[QUOTE="Captain Kilowatt, post: 454344, member: 39"] Cured concrete weighs about 3600 pounds per cubic yard depending on the actual content and reinforcing. My base therefore weighs about 20,000 lbs. give or take. Not at all unreasonable for a free standing tower designed to support 52 sq.ft. of wind loading. It is a Trylon Titan T-500 series.Anyone that is used to guyed towers is often amazed at what it takes to install a free standing tower PROPERLY.All a guyed tower needs is something that will support the weight of the tower and the downward force exerted by the guys. The thing is not so much the weight as it is the area and more importantly the depth of the foundation which should be below the frost level.. This all adds up to a great weight. There is NO WAY a reasonably tall free standing tower will stay up with only a single cubic yard of cement in the base.The leverage exerted on the base is just far too great. It will literally up-end the concrete block. I know of one 64 foot high tower where the owner went cheap on the base. After a good old fashion nor'easter the tower was leaning about two or three feet out of line. The Delhi tower was still straight and the antenna (PDL-2) survived but the base began to lift and rotate in the hole causing a permanent lean. It remained up for a few years after and then was taken down when the operator got out of radio.You can shun the idea all you want about the size of required bases for free standing towers but until you look at the physics of it and read up on the way things should be done you will never fully understand what is going on and the difference between free standing and guyed towers. They are like night and day in their installation requirements and hence both have their advantages and disadvantages. The greatest advantage a free standing tower has is smaller footprint,no guy wires spread out, and no guys to interfere with antenna installations. They do tend to be more expensive however. Personally I prefer free standing and would never own a guyed tower for at least the two reasons I just mentioned about the guys. [/QUOTE]

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