Deep drilling this week ? tower construction next week
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After two days of hearing a high-pitched drone, the answer to that question is no. Workers with Walling Drilling of Trenton, Ga., have finished boring three holes for what will be an estimated 300-foot cell phone tower on Mullican Street.
In order to support a tower that size, the holes are 33 feet deep and five feet in diameter. A 33-foot rebar cage was inserted into the holes and concrete was poured around the cages. It’s not a job for your average drillers.
“Not too many people do this type of work,” said Walling Drilling employee Bookie Bowen. “We’ve been to Kansas City, to Branson, Missouri, and on up to Pennsylvania.”
The Mullican Street drilling has prompted a good deal of interest since a number of people have noticed the construction work on the heavily traveled road. Workers on site didn’t have information about which cell phone company was responsible for construction, but said the schedule is for a new set of workers to begin erecting the tower next week.
As for how long it takes to drill a hole 33 feet deep and five feet wide, Bowen said it requires patience. “It takes roughly six or seven hours,” he said. “It all depends on the soil and how much rock you hit. You just have to stay with it and hope it doesn’t rain.”