Re: Pier Construction
John J. Kasianowicz <surpher@...>
Hi Mark,
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I don't know the specific answers to your questions, but you might want to contact John McCubbin (mccubbin@...). His Halfmoon Observatory (http://www.usit.com/mccubbin/astronomy.html) looks great and has some nice design ideas. John is very helpful. His metal pier/concrete deadman design has several neat features. First, different hollow metal tube piers can be interchanged easily (with some grunting). Second, it looks really massive (Le Seur's AstroPiers suggests using much less concrete, which is probably unwise for an observatory, particularly if you ever want to do imaging). I'd tend to err on the side of using too much concrete placed too deeply. Third, the base of the tube that mates with the ring (that bolts to the metal atop the concrete deadman) is reinforced w/metal ribs (gussets?). If you go this route, and if you use a wood floor instead of a concrete slab, John's design makes it easy to remove the pier and cover the deadman with wood flooring (you have to make sure that the bolts coming out of the deadman are below the level of the bottom of the wood floor). If your observatory is designed with flexibility in mind, it can be used as a garden tool storage shed or a kid's playhouse by whoever buys your house (i.e. the structure will ADD to the value of your home). I'm in the next to final design stage for my own backyard observatory. I'd love to toss some ideas around, if you like. Best, John Kasianowicz
Looking for any and all advice for constructing my permanent pier.
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