How to fit a pole in deepfreeze conditions?

**puffin** · 02-10-2005

Hi everybody
I live in Dalarna in Sweden with a frost-free depth of 150cm.
I am going to fit a Gibertini 150cm dish on a pole in the garden.
My supplier have recommended a concrete block with a the
size 120x120 and 60 cm deep and put the concrete base on
frigolit to prevent it from warping because of the frost
going under the concrete.
Has anybody here any advice to such a "contraption"?

***iceman*** · 02-10-2005

120x120 and 60 cm deep sounds to me like a lot of concrete for a 120cm dish..

**puffin** · 02-10-2005

Originally Posted by iceman

120x120 and 60 cm deep sounds to me like a lot of concrete for a 120cm dish..

It was the Gibertini 150 cm that is actually 155 x 166 cm.

**rolfw** · 02-10-2005

Agree with Iceman, does seem a lot for that dish, having said that, if you are happy to dig and fill a hole of that size, then the dish certainly won't move.

Frigolit would appear to be a very dense form of polystyrene insulation http://www.frigolitfabriken.se/eng/index.html I guess that any similarly dense product would suffice.

**puffin** · 02-10-2005

Originally Posted by rolfw

Agree with Iceman, does seem a lot for that dish, having said that, if you are happy to dig and fill a hole of that size, then the dish certainly won't move.

Frigolit would appear to be a very dense form of polystyrene insulation http://www.frigolitfabriken.se/eng/index.html I guess that any similarly dense product would suffice.

What size would you recomend?

**rolfw** · 02-10-2005

Well I guess that it will depend on the exposed nature of the location, but I would have thought that a 90 or 100cm square with that depth would be more then enough. Having said that, if that is what the local guy recommends, then perhaps it would be the sensible course to follow his advice, it would certainly provide some future proofing.

Is he recommending a buried mast or bolting a stand onto the base?

***bignick*** · 02-10-2005

Thats about the size I recommend for 3m dish out here in Cyprus! How windy does it get over there?

Originally Posted by iceman

120x120 and 60 cm deep sounds to me like a lot of concrete for a 120cm dish..

**puffin** · 02-10-2005

Originally Posted by bignick

Thats about the size I recommend for 3m dish out here in Cyprus! How windy does it get over there?

Not that bad. I am living 200km from the nearest costline.
If we get a storm from the west - it will have lost a lot of the power
passing the norwegian mountains. There will be no risk of a storm
hitting the dish from the front as that part of the garden is protected.

PGH · 03-10-2005

Originally Posted by rolfw

Agree with Iceman, does seem a lot for that dish, having said that, if you are happy to dig and fill a hole of that size, then the dish certainly won't move.

Frigolit would appear to be a very dense form of polystyrene insulation http://www.frigolitfabriken.se/eng/index.html I guess that any similarly dense product would suffice.

The reason for the high-density polystyrene is to insulate the concrete from the ground underneath. This is to stop this ground from freezing, which would produce a differential expansion in the ice and tilt the concrete plinth. The reason for the depth of concrete is to get below the frost layer so the ground doesn’t freeze from the sides and not to provide any extra mechanical stability. I live further north and so the effects are more pronounced, but my first attempts at casting a base for my 2m dish, without insulation, resulted in a near 10 degree tilt!!

***iceman*** · 03-10-2005

thx for the explenation PGH....excessive use of concrete & polystyrene makes sense after your post...

**saint** · 03-10-2005

well this should give you something to do on sunday morning
or give good old Martin effing Timmel a call ...

My suggestion would be to fix it to any granit / rock if you have any available in the garden or a bit under the surface , then you'll get a sound base .
you'll probably still get some movement at only 60cm deep , put 2 layers of 10cm frigolit under and a layer round the edges . I also think 120 by 120 is overkill , but it gives u something to do this autumn !

Now my problems the forrest all around me , thats more than a weeks work .

doberman · 03-10-2005

i have fitted a lot of gibertini 1.25 dishes in spain we have the opposite problem dry ground like concrete but when wet it turns to mush,i usualy dig a hole as deep as possible min 1 meter but small in diameter 50cm square like a pile drive and the ground is more stable the deeper you go and the frost wont go down as far .a platform as you say will tilt under certain conditions .

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