Using metal light poles to construct an elevated box stand?
 

I would like to use four 33' 11 guage metal light poles to elevate a roughly 8x8 wooden box stand. I figure that roughly 6' of the poles needs to be set in a concrete base (any advice?). This would mean that the base of the box would be bolted at 18'. I would like to build the wooden box on the ground then use a Telehandler w/ forks (big loader with 44' boom) to place & bolt the box to the poles. Does anyone have any experience or guidance in using metal light poles for this sort of application. Thank you in advance for your reply

11GA is 1/8" thick. Doesn't seem thick enough for me.

need more info here.....I assume these poles are round tapered steel? what is the bottom diameter? are there base plates welded to the pole shafts? I am an engineer for a company that manufactures light poles and we have had people buy scrap poles from us to install blinds on in the past, so you are not the only one to try this. let me know what you have before I can make any suggestions.

Most light poles don't bear a significant load. Are they aluminum or steel? I'd be hesitant to use them unless the metal was at least 1/2 inch thick. 8'x8' seems very large and heavy to be supported by light poles.

Build a solid wood base. Use cable to stiffen the whole thing up.

And you don't need to go 6' deep into concrete!!

I think the poles will be sufficient for support. They don' need to have a thick wall thickness, they gain their strength from the diameter. That being said, it is important to keep them nice and round - dent free. That is where the strength would become compromised.

I suggest 55 gallon steel drums for the leg bases. Set the poles about 2/3 - 3/4 the deep. A 55 gallon drum of concrete would weigh 450 and I would set them in the ground, not on the ground. I would shoot for a footprint of 10' X 10'.


It is very important that you use a solid frame up top where you want your box. Something that ties all the legs together squarely and that will lock the square by getting an "X" in the frame. I wouldn't rely on anything even remotely flimsy or anything that could change dimension. IMO bolting to the poles could only be done right using blocks that are flat on one side to mate with your frame material and rounded to the pole on the other side - same with washers.

I personally would also do a couple girdles on the pole frame. You can use them as good anchor points for the ladder/stairs and they will add to the rigidity and strength of the tower.

If you have access to the Telehandler you ought to be able to build it laying down and then raise it up and set it in the holes.

You get that thing up I hope you'll put up some pics.

Update...
 

Ok im getting the light poles in the morning & i will update the exact specs of the poles w/ pics soon. I think i will be getting more than i need to do 2 stands so i guess using 5 or 6 poles per stand will be an option. Thanks for your help everybody! this will be a process so stay with me..

you'll be ok as long as the pipe is runnin up the walls to hold up the roof. i like the 55 gallon drum idea buried in the ground. i would worry about sway, as light poles are designed to do so. 11g is a lil thin..depending on diameter.you need to fill them with cement or even sand. something to make em more rigid, and more than likely remove sway. remember to make the water fall off a non shooting side. gl

Pole pictures & dimensions
 

Here are the poles...

11 guage

They're approximately 8 3/4" at the base & they taper up to roughly 4"

Four 33' poles
Four 27' poles

1 thing no one has considered....what about Lightening,are You making one large Lightening Rod? Yikes!!!!!

There are lots of tower blinds down in Texas that are set on metal supports and I never heard of anyone getting zapped by lightning.

i'd worry bout that rust at minimum. other than that looks ok.

6ft into the ground will be fine, I would grind the rust off the embedded portion and apply coal tar epoxy to said embedded portion and then you should be good to go. the poles taper at a rate of .14 inches per ft....that will help you determine your tip diameters. Don't remove the bearing plates on the bottom of the poles, they are there to keep the poles from spinning or pulling out of the ground.

we are a building and electrical contractor and at first my thought was ...good idea but tons of work for a stand. Then I started going through the structural process...cross bracing is a must...10 feet high is plenty to base of platform. Why not make the poles part of your four corners? Build your blind within the four poles not on top. still bracing 1/2 way up would be required. Secure 2x6 through bolted into pole as a frame (or box beam) around four poles and place floor rafters with hangers 16 o.c..... if your poles still have the mounting bases attached they can be bolted to a sonotube , concrete poured and have threaded rod (5/8" min) and just bolt them to your poured sonotube 36" deep minimum...48" if you want to beat the frost...Last and most important item...brass bolt mech connection or weld or thermoweld a ground wire #6 copper from each pole without cutting the wire and connect to 2- 8' ground rods (5/8" ) $12.00 bucks each...so it runs as a complete circuit to the first ground rod then to the second ground rod...no breaks in the wire! Rods are driven straight down flush with ground...
Wow lots of work...what if this stand location is NG...hope you though of that :)

Sounds like some expensive stands too. I'd only put something like this up for a club where liability is an issue and even then I'm pretty sure something like this requires a build&zoning permit. Round here those are required for a structure that's permanent and this thing is definitively that.

Saying that, it should work well, way over kill. I'd scrape the steel and build some less permanent ones out of wood with the money. Lighting is definitively a concern. Things elevated and made out of steel.

not that it matters (because his poles are embedded not anchor bases) but 5/8 bolts are not acceptable for the poles he has. If they had anchor bases on them a minimum anchor bolt size of 1" dia would be required.

lmao at a permit to build a deer blind...someone call the electrician :hit:

It's not a deer blind, it's an obsevation tower. A deer blind would be just fine, this is a tower, like a water tower. Powerful structure.

Just trying to get some perspective out there on what this "little" project is becoming. This is no blind. What about it is blind to anybody anyways. :)

i dont think he is actually puttin it 33' in the air?

!8 feet plus the height of the box makes it close to 25 and up isn't the issue it's down in the ground, 6' in the ground. What blinds do you use that must be sunk in concrete 6' in the ground?

lol true that.