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Up Topic Chit-Chat & Non-Welding Discussion / Off-Topic Bar and Grill / How do you take down an old tower??
- - By Cumminsguy71 (*****) Date 01-29-2014 14:24
Well, you knock it over of course!! We went out yesterday due to the weather being to cold to weld in(no shelter) and had a quick "decom" as they call it. Had to drop a tower and drop it we did! Power lines, buildings and a road!! 300 foot tower that had to come down. So, we did what we had to do to the guy wires, loosen some here, crank down on others there and then guys went to opposite sides of the road to stop traffic. Only wish some of the impatient boneheads in the state we were working in would have actually listened to us. Blowing past us on the shoulder, almost running me over to get by so they could risk being killed by a tower dropping on their vehicle. I must admit, I dislike the state we were in very much and the drivers are hideous!!

Here's some pictures for your enjoyment!
Attachment: 20140128_130643RR.jpg (0B)
Parent - - By 803056 (*****) Date 01-30-2014 00:33
The real trick is to put it up again!

Nice photos. Not something we see everyday.

Best regards -Al
Parent - By mcostello (**) Date 01-30-2014 03:17
Some guys have all the fun.:lol:
- - By Dualie (***) Date 01-30-2014 05:25
you get all the fun jobs!    after reading the title i was thinking give her a lean the direction you want her to go and gas Axe the cables still holding
Parent - - By Cumminsguy71 (*****) Date 01-30-2014 13:22
Actually we tried to tension one side then pop the others loose but we didn't have enough tension apparently. So, four guys pulled on the top guy wire and pulled it over! When that section finally gave it made a pope I heard down the road stopping traffic! Then she tumbled and nose dived into the ground. It was fun I have to admit, cold as a witches booby but still fun!
Parent - - By Lawrence (*****) Date 01-30-2014 14:28
Morbid curiosity.

Some of those cluster joints looked savage, but I saw no failures in the pic.  Ultimate destructive testing eh?

Did you see any joint failures after the fall?
Parent - By Tommyjoking (****) Date 01-30-2014 20:21
Ooooooooooo    can I come help on the next one...can i can i can I????    I have always had this strange temptation to pop some guy wires loose and then watch the show!   Had to be at least a little fun!
Parent - By welderbrent (*****) Date 01-30-2014 21:22
Not morbid.  Very professional, curiosity.  

More info.  Failure reports after the stress test.  Just don't let any of the guys try to ride a section down. 

Have a Great Day,  Brent
Parent - - By Cumminsguy71 (*****) Date 01-31-2014 00:14
I didn't see any failures in anything that was welded. I looked briefly but did not examine them as well as I should have in the really mangled areas!

I did snap a picture of where it broke, it's not a close up as it was some 15 feet over my head but it pretty much snapped the actual leg.
Parent - - By Tommyjoking (****) Date 01-31-2014 00:30
AND of course remember folks he is climbing and working that stuff all the way up.....only reason it can even stand is the wires keeping pressure on it.  Looking at the "welds"....well you can draw your own conclusions about the size and density of Shawns co-hones!  :eek:
Parent - By Superflux (****) Date 01-31-2014 14:23
I WANNA PLAY
Parent - - By Smooth Operator (***) Date 02-01-2014 01:53
Interesting welds at the pipe intersections........Looks like weld just laid/ built up till all joints (ends) were covered!!!!!!!!!!?????????? Don't hear of many falling......
Parent - - By Cumminsguy71 (*****) Date 02-01-2014 10:58
Yeah, it's things like that you don't look at or dwell on a whole lot while climbing some of these things. The one we are working now was engineered by the first little pig(straw house). Up at 160 feet where we have to work is kind of spooky when you look at the steel your supposed to "safety" off to. When you click your safety you wonder if it will even try to stop you if you should fall or if it will just break!
Parent - - By Superflux (****) Date 02-01-2014 15:50
Do you ever add a little extra weld on a tie off point?
Parent - - By Cumminsguy71 (*****) Date 02-01-2014 23:51
Nope, but that's because I'm welding them. Now, I have looked at places where I tie off and see the hideous welds that are currently there but then ease my own mind by telling myself that this tower has stood thru heavier wind storms, snow, ice and gosh knows what else long before I got there. I try to have faith that they are engineered but when you're beefing up the tower and you have to alter more than half of the stuff to get it to fit, close up gaps and various other things you start to wonder again....but then you go to your happy place and put it out of your mind. This job is mostly about having the ability to block out a lot of stuff. When the wind literally blows you 5 feet off the tower, 5 feet across one face then another 5 feet across another face to the opposite leg you were working on, you have to be a special kind of psychotic, especially when you laugh, then cuss the wind not even worried about what just took place!!
Parent - - By Tyrone (***) Date 02-03-2014 11:44
Why does the guy in the second picture with the white hardhat look 20' tall? :eek:
Tyrone
Parent - By Tommyjoking (****) Date 02-04-2014 02:53
cause he is standing on top of a crumpled piece of tower....looks like he has a spotter:grin:
Parent - By Cumminsguy71 (*****) Date 02-07-2014 18:40
Yeah, Tommy is right, he's standing on a piece of crumpled tower. Guy in the yellow vest is further back in the picture, an illusion.
- - By Dualie (***) Date 02-04-2014 05:11
i might of missed it but how did you get the last bit of tower down?
Parent - By Cumminsguy71 (*****) Date 02-07-2014 18:40
The guy with the white hard hat that looks like he is twenty feet tall pushed on the guy wire from the side by himself and knocked it over. No, really, he pushed into the wire and with a little muscle knocked over the last 80-100 feet just like that.
Up Topic Chit-Chat & Non-Welding Discussion / Off-Topic Bar and Grill / How do you take down an old tower??

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