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  1. Default Rock Set Pole Options??

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    Hi guys, up in the north here we do things the old fashion way. Drill 4 small diameter holes in the rock with a rock drill, attach heavy duty rebar plates to the bottom of the pole, set rebar plates in holes (pole sitting on top of the rock), and pour grout in hole to bond to rock and rock plate holding the pole in place. I see there are some new ideas like the secoroc rock drill assemblies that can attach to the digger's kelly bar, that makes a hole big enough to set the whole pole in. Is anyone familiar with this? Does it work good in granite rock? Limestone? Are there other good methods out there? I have heard of a Tri-anchor system as well.(which does not require grout)

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Ontario, Canada
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    1,012

    Default

    That style of rock mount is pretty much outlawed here in Ontario. Any rock set poles I have been involved in are drilled or broken out with a jack hammer. I have a friend that invested in a truck mounted rock drill, he currently has a contract to dig pole holes for a local utility. He is able to pound a hole in less than half an hour. Before that he used a core drum on an RBD, sometimes it would take a day, in hard rock.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    A little shack on the side of a bluff in Western NC
    Posts
    75

    Default

    When we went to Watertown, NY in 1998....there was a thing running around called a Rock Blaster. It was some kind of huge air powered rock drill mounted on a big track hoe, where the bucket would normally be. They had a huge air compressor, and that thing would put a 6 foot deep hole down in about 10 minutes! It was $1000 bucks a hole....but it was worth every penny in that **** swamp full of rocks! Besides, NiMo was paying the bill anyways. It was out of Canada, but exactly where I have no idea.
    I'm much too young to feel this damm old!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Ontario, Canada
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    1,012

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    JD426H , I think I know whose rig that was. There are a couple around this neck of the woods. My buddies rig is the same idea but truck mounted and it will go almost anywhere, as long as there is solid ground. His is self contained , compressor is mounted on the truck. Expensive rig to invest in but since he digs holes for different utilities , it doesn't sit around , and it pays for itself.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    ireland/ Dublin
    Posts
    2,119

    Default In Scotland

    When we were in Scotland we had a few rock ( granite ) poles to set.. We got a specialist team in " core drilling" they usually drill concrete .. Only trouble with core drilling is the hole is always slightly bigger than the pole... They had to squirt in a rubber resin compound and wait for it to set.. Needed a bit of movement up in the highlands what with the wind an all.
    IF IT WASN'T FOR BAD LUCK WE WOULD HAVE NO LUCK AT ALL. !

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Virginia, USA
    Posts
    549

    Default Rock Holes

    Seen it done three ways over the years. Oldest was small drilled holes that 4-5 foot long bolts were grouted into sticking above ground about a foot with a steel collar that pole butt went into, haven't seen one of these since early 80's. Next was drill a small hole about three foot deep and set off 1/4 stick of dynamite. Then use backhoe to dig out rubble. Set pole and back fill with crusher run gravel and pack. Held the pole well but grounding stunk. Recently seen other areas use the big rock drills that others have described that drill a hole about 4-6 inches bigger than pole butt and backfill around with concrete or a "mastic" like putty. I haven't had to work with any of these options since early 90's when I moved to southeast Virginia, here it's all sand or swamps.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    ireland/ Dublin
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    2,119

    Default These....

    Quote Originally Posted by thrasher View Post
    Seen it done three ways over the years. Oldest was small drilled holes that 4-5 foot long bolts were grouted into sticking above ground about a foot with a steel collar that pole butt went into, haven't seen one of these since early 80's. Next was drill a small hole about three foot deep and set off 1/4 stick of dynamite. Then use backhoe to dig out rubble. Set pole and back fill with crusher run gravel and pack. Held the pole well but grounding stunk. Recently seen other areas use the big rock drills that others have described that drill a hole about 4-6 inches bigger than pole butt and backfill around with concrete or a "mastic" like putty. I haven't had to work with any of these options since early 90's when I moved to southeast Virginia, here it's all sand or swamps.
    This is what we used in Scotland ..think it's what Thrasher was talking about.. We set the short ones in the rock by drilling and filling with resin..then the long ones we bolted to the pole with the collars..
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    IF IT WASN'T FOR BAD LUCK WE WOULD HAVE NO LUCK AT ALL. !

  8. Default Rock sets vs rock drilling

    Hey guys, thanks for the input. Yes I was talking to some guys just across the border today at Hydro One and Kenora Hydro. Kenora Hydro still uses rebar rock plates and grout like us. But yes Hydro One says they have been banned for years. Are you guys in Ontario allowed to climb a rock set pole? Do you have a work procedure for temp. guying to climb? The Hydro One guys said they hire a local contractor who is all set up with a drill and compressor, they still have an approved plate system for the small diameter hole drilling that has a wedge system that they also grout for good measure but they usually drill the whole pole in with the contractor even on boat access only locations. Sounds pretty cool! Their units are mounted on a skidder and a track hoe. Do the digger derrick ones work as good? I would think down pressure would be a problem with some diggers? Bren are those longer rods drilled in on an angle? After our pole checkers have tested our poles for the first time ever, possibly we have a very high percentage of failures. Most of these are sulphur installations, have you guys heard of sulphur as a bonding compound for rock sets? We use grout only now but have thousands of sulphur set poles that will be failing once tested.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    ireland/ Dublin
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    2,119

    Default :)

    Yep. At an angle.
    IF IT WASN'T FOR BAD LUCK WE WOULD HAVE NO LUCK AT ALL. !

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Virginia, USA
    Posts
    549

    Default Bren has it

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    Bren what you showed photos of looks like what was done in Northern Virginia in the early eighties. Haven't seen it done in 20 years in this state. Now we open a full depth hole one way or another and set the pole.

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