OK. I will admit right here and now that I am no expert on putting up towers. I have observed it once and will try to explain the process as best as I can. If you find I made mistakes, don't hesitate to to write and set me straight. But be kind, I'm getting along in years and can't handle criticism the way I used to :-)
All right. In this photo the workers have properly assembled the lower part of the tower with the pointy end at the bottom. For the first few sections you can use a crane to lift them into place and hold them steady while the sections are bolted together. Temporary guy wires help hold the darn thing up and keep it straight. This photo shows a set of temporary guys at the bottom and the first set of permanent guys above it. After you reach a height that the crane can no longer work, the tower sections are swayed up by means of a "gin pole" . A gin pole is a piece of steel that attaches to one tower face and reaches above the top of the tower. The part of the gin pole above the tower is longer than the tower section that will be lifted. When the tower section reaches the top of the gin pole, the bottom of the section is a few inches above the top of the tower. It can then be moved into place and bolted to the tower. You then move the gin pole onto the section you just put up and pull up another tower section. Up you go, adding guy wires to hold it all vertical. Easy right?
You can see the gin pole at the top of the tower in this picture. If you look carefully at the top of the tower, you can see a worker kneeling down. If you also count down two sections you can see a worker standing inside the tower. At this point the tower is about 180 to 190 feet high and remember it is six feet on a side. You get a good idea of how big these things were by looking at the worker who is standing in the tower (our new towers are only 4 feet on a side, just little puny things).
Questions or comments about the tour?
Updated 12/8/98
KCBS-KLLC ENGINEERING DEPT