Rocky Ridge/East Bay tower down

[iamhere300]

While that 200' tower may have been $60K in material costs in 1986, as you note the installation was extra. Today, the total project cost (removal of the destroyed tower, design engineering, permits, fabrication and installation) of a new 200' tower that meets current ANSI standards (TIA-222-G, Seismic Zone 4, 120 MPH winds, etc. with the loading that was on the tower that fell) may well be $1M by the time the tower is replaced.

I probably don't know a lot about this, and California is a world in its own, BUT, ATC will send to the manufacturers what they want to support, what their limitations are, and the manufacturers will be all over it to get a price for them.

Up until yesterday, we all were under the information that it was only 40 -60 feet, a very normal mountain top tower.

Now that further information reveals a height of allegedly 200 feet, then it takes on a whole nother outlook. Even as you suggest, with NORMAL zoning and permitting issues, as well as the fact it is a replacement for a tower, and not a new tower, a million is still quite a ways off. Even ATC, the tower owner of this tower, in 2011 stated that the average tower build, COMPLETE including all civil, etc is 200-225k.

Now, COULD it cost a million? Sure, and I could buy a new truck tomorrow to replace my 3/4 ton, and it COULD cost me 500k by the time I get done - but it won't.

But what do I know about towers and the tower industry.

I also hope they do something different on the anchors, if that tower was 200 feet, it sure does appear those anchors were very short spaced, you can see where they were beefed up at some point. With all that loading, who knows, it may have just fell.

 

[BirkenVogt]

Now that further information reveals a height of allegedly 200 feet, then it takes on a whole nother outlook. Even as you suggest, with NORMAL zoning and permitting issues, as well as the fact it is a replacement for a tower, and not a new tower, a million is still quite a ways off. Even ATC, the tower owner of this tower, in 2011 stated that the average tower build, COMPLETE including all civil, etc is 200-225k.

It seems that there were at least 10 microwave and untold cellular stuff on that tower. Is that inculded in the average you cited? It would seem that replacing the tower would be the easy part, getting the antennas and feedlines rebuilt would be expensive and time consuming. Plus the lost revenue that the clock is ticking on now day after day.

 

[gariac]

This is the tower in better days.
http://www.lazygranch.com/images/radio/rocky_ridge.jpg

Not being an expert in tower destruction, it seems to me there is a lot of redundancy in the guy wires. I don't think just cutting one would do it. If they cut it after hours (most likely), I suspect they made at least one trip to study the tower in the daylight. They cut it so it would fall in the direction of the least amount of ground, if that makes any sense. In other words, assuming one runs like hell when you hear the tower give way, you want some level ground to make your escape. The direction where the tower fell has very little flat ground before the ridge starts. I'm guessing maybe it had 30ft of level ground, which is why the press thought the tower was only 30ft high. But clearly from the photo, the thing is big and stuff with gear. The small dish right at the bottom might be the one that points to the EBRPD building nearby.

 

[com501]

Probably another pissed off American Tower customer getting his revenge.

 

[iamhere300]

It seems that there were at least 10 microwave and untold cellular stuff on that tower. Is that inculded in the average you cited? It would seem that replacing the tower would be the easy part, getting the antennas and feedlines rebuilt would be expensive and time consuming. Plus the lost revenue that the clock is ticking on now day after day.

Nope, that is the tower and install labor only. I would figure another 200k for the antennas, hardline, and labor. Lost revenue is going to be the biggest thing - but insurance....

I can't help but wonder about the loading on the tower, and if it was actually cut, or fell. Thats a lot of stuff on that tower.

 

[mmckenna]

It was cut. But not surprising at all it came down.

Our towers at work get an engineering review before any antenna is mounted. Wind load, weight, mounting, cables, etc all need to be looked at and how they affect the tower. Being this was an American Tower installation, you would need to consider the profit side of this. Put as much stuff on that tower to bring in money as you can. Overloaded or not, it was a money maker.

 

[iamhere300]

It was cut. But not surprising at all it came down.

Our towers at work get an engineering review before any antenna is mounted. Wind load, weight, mounting, cables, etc all need to be looked at and how they affect the tower. Being this was an American Tower installation, you would need to consider the profit side of this. Put as much stuff on that tower to bring in money as you can. Overloaded or not, it was a money maker.

That it was. No doubt there.

 

[iamhere300]

Probably another pissed off American Tower customer getting his revenge.

Hmmm. On the business side, I have nothing but good to say about dealings, or the dealings of my customers with ATC. Sure, they charge for the space they rent, but it is theirs. You don't like it, build your own tower.