Friday's pics/video....on Wednesday.

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220/221

Senior Member
Location
AZ
This is a job I started Monday. Remove/relocate 5 parking lot lights to make room for new parking canopies and install lighting under them.

This is only the second time I have plucked bases out. This time I am not sending them to the landfill. I am going to re install them. They are a little ugly underground because they didn't use Sonotube all the way down but it will work.

I fabricated brackets to attach the straps.

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Pulled out 5 bases in about an hour. I dug around them yesterday with a small trackhoe/12" bucket, cut the conduit and pulled the wires out of the way.

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Re routed the conduit and I'll throw a drivway rated JB over the top. I know someone will ask, so....the black tape on the coupling is because it felt a little loose and I didn't want to risk it pulling apart on backfill.


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Video link:


http://s8.photobucket.com/albums/a8/JohnC1952/?action=view&current=MOV02016.flv
 
celtic

celtic

Senior Member
Location
NJ
I'm sure it's been asked before:
Is it really that much cheaper to reuse the bases?

Toss some numbers up?
 
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220/221

Senior Member
Location
AZ
I will find out.

My ballpark estimate says hauling 30,000 pounds of concrete to the landfill will cost, minimum.......$1000???

5 yards of concrete will cost.....$1000???

Rebar cages, bolts and Sonotube will cost......$1000???

That's 3K @ cost. I think the labor to re install will also be less than if I poured new ones.....maybe the same.

I don't know. I pulled one out a few weeks ago, tossed it in the landfill and poured a new one. It seemed stupid so I thought I'd try something new. So far, so good.

I am not 100% commited yet as I haven't drilled the new holes but I think I will proceed.
 
H

hardworkingstiff

Senior Member
Location
Wilmington, NC
Another positive is you have recycled and are reducing the waste in the landfill, GJ!

On the other hand, the concrete company misses a sale and so does the trucker, the sono tube manufacturer, re-bar guy, etc. :smile:
 
C

Cow

Senior Member
Location
Eastern Oregon
Occupation
Electrician
celtic said:
I'm sure it's been asked before:
Is it really that much cheaper to reuse the bases?
Click to expand...

Why not? Throwing good lightpole bases in the dump would kind of irk me unless of course, it was cheaper to pour new ones.:wink:

But really, think about it. He has to remove/relocate them anyhow. So now instead of digging a hole, sonotube, rebar, install conduit, pour concrete, strip, backfill it's now dig a hole, install conduit, backfill. Just like installing precast bases. Plus, it's saving a lot of steps-time and materials. I think 220 is on the right track...:wink:
 
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bjp_ne_elec

Senior Member
Location
Southern NH
220/221 said:
I will find out.

My ballpark estimate says hauling 30,000 pounds of concrete to the landfill will cost, minimum.......$1000???

5 yards of concrete will cost.....$1000???

Rebar cages, bolts and Sonotube will cost......$1000???

That's 3K @ cost. I think the labor to re install will also be less than if I poured new ones.....maybe the same.

I don't know. I pulled one out a few weeks ago, tossed it in the landfill and poured a new one. It seemed stupid so I thought I'd try something new. So far, so good. Oh, and it's hard to tell with the dirt around the work area - is the area totally blacktopped, or are the areas with the poles in grassy areas?

I am not 100% commited yet as I haven't drilled the new holes but I think I will proceed.
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You'd have it in either sceario, but what did the crane cost to rent? The video is pretty slick. How many hours total to remove, dig, re-pipe, re-install - including taking down the light poles?
 
N

nakulak

Senior Member
you are going to have to find out way more inventive ways to be wasteful if you want to help bring the economy back. At the very least, if you are going to unilaterally pocket money hand over fist like that, go out this weekend and buy a new boat or plasma tv.
 
ceb58

ceb58

Senior Member
Location
Raeford, NC
I hate to be the one but did you have an engineer sign off on this? most of the time they want the soil around the hole to be undisturbed. or at least have compaction test done on the soil usually in the 90 to 95 % range.
 
Cavie

Cavie

Senior Member
Location
SW Florida
We install prefab concrete bases for highway lighting. 10' x 3'. We prefab them in at our mobil concrete plant. We plant them with no concrete just a little rock around the bottom. For FDOT jobs we by then from a FDOT certified manufacturer and plant them in the same manor.
 
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220/221

Senior Member
Location
AZ
What camera did you use for the video?
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The camera is an older Sony. I had it for 4 years before I knew it also took video :rolleyes:



Is the local inspection requiring any type of compaction testing around the base?
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I asked and was told that they don't look at anything under 30' tall.


How many hours total to remove, dig, re-pipe, re-install - including taking down the light poles?
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The poles came down in less than an hour, about $100 I believe. It took all day with a small, $200 rental trackhoe to dig around them and disconnect the conduits. It also only took about an hour to pull all the bases. I spent a day re installing/rerouting conduit and backfilling with my trencher blade.

DSC02041.jpg




Have you decided to backfil and tamp or just pour concrete around the old base?
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I am thinking of filling them by hand with gravel or AB.

I hate to be the one but did you have an engineer sign off on this?
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I figured that the fewer people involved, the better. I will take full responsibility.

Don't you folks have any concrete recyclers in your neck of the woods?
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They do recycle concrete and asphalt. A pole base full of rebar would not be the easest ting to break apart. I just paid a guy to haul off the last one. I assume it went to the landfill.

Guess that all depends on whose head it comes down on.
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I'm no rocket surgeon but I'm pretty sure it would be impossible for one to actually fall over. I can see it leaning a bit if I don't fill it properly. I think AB is close to 100% compaction.

BTW, it actually RAINED here yesterday and today. I don't know how you guys work in the rain. It makes EVERYTHING more difficult. I sucked it up and even went out for a half day today to minimize my mess. Now I wait for the canopy guy.

My thanksgiving dinner on the road.

DSC02045.jpg
 
LarryFine

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
220/221 said:
DSC02045.jpg
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There are very few things that are worse than having to eat while in the driver's seat. Not eating at all is one of them, though.

That's quite a crack in the windshield. There are companies that can repair them without replacement. My dad does it; he learned from me. :cool:
 
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