Concrete cure time

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iceworm said:
30 foot pole with lights, standard mix, two days - color me nervous. Even with a 5 day forcast of calm winds. That's a lot of weight way up there, waving around, even in a light breeze.

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You know what? I haven't done this kind of work in 20 years. I don't think I would be listening to me.

ice (trying not to be a harmless flake)
 
qcroanoke said:
Are you going to or be required to take cylinders and do a break test?
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No.

kwired said:
Build a temp structure of some sort to support some temp lighting if you absolutely must have the lighting.
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:huh:

What do you envision that is safe, reasonably priced and will not be carted off by the local crackheads? One location is in a not so nice area of a city.

Even if that means hanging a temp light from your boom truck.
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Our safety guy would flip out if I did that, I would not be surprised if that would cost me some unpaid time off.

mgookin said:
How about using direct burial poles?
Cure time = time required to backfill.
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Other than for municipal projects they are never used around here. In one location I have to match existing, in the 30' location it is just one so I could change.

But in this area, for site poles that are subject to vehicles and more specifically snow plows like the ones I am working on we generally provide a 24" diameter round concrete base that rises 30 to 36" above grade.

Here is a picture I found on Google, it will be like this more or less. Ours will be 2' x 9' with about 3' above and 6' below grade.

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Even like this I have seen snow removal equipment break the base.
 
There is such a huge liability to your company, I would not even think about a reduced cure time without a written statement from a PE who routinely works with concrete saying it is ok to do. Look at how many building construction collapses there have been because the shoring for poured concrete structures has been removed too early or heavy loading was placed on the newly poured concrete too early. There are a couple of those types of incidents that make the news every year because of injuries or deaths, there are many others that never make the news because there was no injury or death.
 
iwire said:
What do you envision that is safe, reasonably priced and will not be carted off by the local crackheads? One location is in a not so nice area of a city.

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Our safety guy would flip out if I did that, I would not be surprised if that would cost me some unpaid time off.
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Was only making some suggestions without knowing what you may have that maybe makes those suggestions impractical.

Seems like if local crackheads are a concern they could be a threat to about anything you do. Maybe hire some armed security guards with really big flashlights during your concrete cure time period - though it may cost more then some of my suggestions:p

What is the safety issue with the boom truck? I guess I could see possible issue if you leave it unattended and extended maybe, but you see cranes left on construction sites all the time. I've seen many at highway bridges under construction with a welder, torch gas tanks, generator, air compressor, job box - or other similar items left overnight or over weekends hanging high in the air so nobody steals those items.
 
don_resqcapt19 said:
There is such a huge liability to your company, I would not even think about a reduced cure time without a written statement from a PE who routinely works with concrete saying it is ok to do. Look at how many building construction collapses there have been because the shoring for poured concrete structures has been removed too early or heavy loading was placed on the newly poured concrete too early. There are a couple of those types of incidents that make the news every year because of injuries or deaths, there are many others that never make the news because there was no injury or death.
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I think that is a huge stretch to compare a building to a site pole but I understand Chicagoens are a conservative group. :D

As it stands now it looks like I am going seven days and if they need light it will be a portable light tower rental.


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Anyone know if those portable light towers with generators can be fed from building power instead of the generator?
 
iwire said:
It is a personal lift not a crane.

And even if I rent a combination unit I would bet that the manufactures instructions say something about leaving unattended loads in the air.
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What are you using to lift the light pole when you do install it?

iwire said:
I think that is a huge stretch to compare a building to a site pole but I understand Chicagoens are a conservative group. :D

As it stands now it looks like I am going seven days and if they need light it will be a portable light tower rental.


roughTerrain200h%203.jpg


Anyone know if those portable light towers with generators can be fed from building power instead of the generator?
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Local crackheads will not mess with that, or an extension cord back to the building? Better still get the security guards for anything you do:)
 
kwired said:
What are you using to lift the light pole when you do install it?
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Utility truck type combination bucket truck material handler. (See picture, you cant see it but this unit has a boom and which for lifting. You must operate it from the ground when doing so.)





Local crackheads will not mess with that, or an extension cord back to the building? Better still get the security guards for anything you do:)
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They may mess with anything but from my perspective I am much better off with equipment made for the job than something cobbled together.
 

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iwire said:
I think that is a huge stretch to compare a building to a site pole but I understand Chicagoens are a conservative group. :D ...
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Concrete cure time and strength is concrete cure time and strength. What the concrete is used for does change the fact that if you load it over it's strength at the time you load it the concrete will fail.

The issue is how much strength do you really need and how long it will take the concrete to develop that strength. If the base design is very conservative, you may very well have enough strength after two days, but someone would have to do all of the engineering calcs to prove that.
 
iwire said:
Noise ordinances and neighbors too close for that besides not being included in the bid.
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iwire said:
As it stands now it looks like I am going seven days and if they need light it will be a portable light tower rental.


roughTerrain200h%203.jpg


Anyone know if those portable light towers with generators can be fed from building power instead of the generator?
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They decided to pay for one?
 
don_resqcapt19 said:
The issue is how much strength do you really need and how long it will take the concrete to develop that strength.
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Much less than it takes to hold a building up. :D

The design has about 7,000 to 8,000 pounds of concrete 6' in the ground and 24" in diameter to hold a 20' pole with small and lightweight heads.


Its overkill for sure.

But regardless it looks like I am going to wait seven days.

There is no PE involved, there rarely is with these small jobs. The design is the standard one we use dozens of times over each year on the larger construction projects.
 
Here are some pics of the 30' tall replacement. None of know how deep this old base goes. Hopefully more than a barrel depth. :p

The apartments in the background are across the street, the apartments to the side are even closer.

New, base, new pole, new LED heads. It will be good.
 

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I take it that the dent in the pole is one reason for replacement?
Will your new installation bring the feed up through the concrete? The old installation would have survived better with the raceway attached at the top of the concrete, and it might be worth adding that to the remaining poles. :)
 
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