To maintain long-term installation quality and value to the cost-conscious customer, The Caisson Company never uses precast pole bases; rather, we cast every pole base in place, including drilling, setting, and pouring concrete against undisturbed soils. This allows us to create a pole base with the highest possible strength and durability as well as avoid the common pitfalls associated with precast pole bases, such as an oversized hole that requires compacted backfilling once the precast base is set. Precast pole bases often tilt and lean over time; our pole bases will remain plumb and will never tilt or lean when properly designed for the soil conditions.
To help you know what to expect when you work with us, we’ve outlined our basic process below. Site-specific conditions and project requirements will, of course, vary from project to project, so variations in the process will be discussed with you prior to commencement.
To put together a written estimate for your project, we’ll need to obtain a few bits of information from you, including the diameter of the foundation, depth below grade, height above grade and the rebar detail at the bare minimum. A copy of the Pole base detail from your engineered drawings will always be the best way to get the most accurate quote.
Provided contracts will be reviewed by our team and returned with any documentation requested, additionions, clarifications, or corrections to contract language. We believe that contracts state the obvious between both parties and strive to ensure that they are fair and clearly defined to protect all parties involved. We can provide non-engineered shop drawings, if necessary, based on plan detail or size estimations and rebar qualifications. The shop drawing may need to be subsequently reviewed by an engineer prior to installation depending on your project requirements. Once an approved shop drawing has been returned to The Caisson Company, materials can be ordered and cages fabricated for installation.
After the work agreement is signed and you are ready for us to start the work, preparation will begin. Once Formally scheduled for a specific date, we will have the public utility locations identified within 3 days prior to the scheduled installation date and verify materials with provided details.
Note: Any requirements for privately-owned utilities to be located are the responsibility of the property owner, general contractor or electrical contracting party.
After utilities are located with proper paint marking/flagging, we’ll mobilize your project with the necessary equipment and labor to fabricate rebar cages and drill the holes to the required depths.
Rebar cages will be placed in the holes to the approximate height of the light pole base; the holes will then be turned over to the electrical contractors for their trenching & conduit work to be completed and inspected prior formwork and concrete placement.
Per the defined and discussed project schedule, our team will return to the jobsite after inspections have been performed to complete the pole base installation. Using our Caisson Company-branded Sonotubes, we will form the foundation to the required above-grade elevation and pour the concrete ensuring a smooth, level and plumb product for mounting your fixtures.
To ensure a smooth finish without any honeycombing or required patchwork, our specialist uses vibrating equipment and techniques to rid the poured concrete of most air larger bubbles giving a sonotube finish that is superior to most you will see installed. Other aesthetic finishes can be applied upon request.
After allowing the concrete to properly cure for a few days, we’ll return to remove the Sonotubes. By giving ample time for the concrete to harden, we’re minimizing the chances of surface flaking or leaving behind cut lines when we remove the forms.
Once we’ve removed the formwork and cleaned up our work area, the bases are ready for your poles to be installed. We will leave you with our contact information so you can contact us if you have any questions. We look forward to working with you again in the future.
As you can gather, our process is thorough and based on years of experience. We’re committed to helping you complete your project with consistency, quality and efficiency – a promise that we don’t hesitate to hang our name on.
