104 COLLAPSE OF TEXAS TOWER NO. 4 



Senator Stennis. All right. Do you wish to proceed now with a 

 description of scheme B, and whatever other major points you have 

 in mind ? You may proceed in your own way. 



DESCRIPTION OF SCHEME B METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION 



Mr. Bauer. Scheme B is the method that the DeLong Corp. had 

 anticipated using in putting this tower up when we submitted our 

 bids. The lower part of the tower, tower No. 4, as we visualized it 

 at that time, would be constructed almost identical with this model 

 here. 



This would be a rigid construction, from this elevation here down. 

 And this would then become the ocean floor, as Mr. DeLong pointed 

 out. 



Senator Stennis. For clarification only, you are pointing to the 

 model of tower No. 4. 



Mr. Bauer. Yes, sir; that is correct, sir. The main ditference in 

 the construction would be that this lower portion of the tower, this 

 rigid K bracing and the three legs, would be constructed in a vertical 

 position. It would never be in a horizontal plane and tipped up 

 on the site. It would be constructed and floated in a vertical position 

 with the finished elevation just above the K bracing. The template, 

 as we call that part of the tower, would then be floated out on the 

 location, and set down on the bottom of the ocean, which would mean 

 that the tops of the legs here would be under water from 30 to 50 

 feet, and all of the bracing would he below the wave zone. 



However, our method then would have been to bring out a small, 

 temporary three-cornered platform, with caissons, w^ith jacking cais- 

 sons floated over the templates. The caissons lowered down into a 

 sleeve on the template, and the work platform, as we call it, would be 

 jacked clear of the w^ater. This is a very light platform, in the vicin- 

 ity of 400 tons, instead of the 4,000 tons that is in the permanent 

 platform. After we got the work platform up off the water, and out 

 of the sea, we would start with the excavation of our footings on the 

 main template. We would sink the footings, and at that time the 

 specifications called for driving a number of pilings down through the 

 footing to a 50-foot penetration, to obtain the fixity of the template at 

 the bottom of the ocean. 



After the template was alined and fixed permanently to the bottom, 

 then the small temporary work platform would be floated off and the 

 permanent platform, the finished top, 4,000 ton platform, would be 

 floated over the top of the fixed template, jacked clear of the water and 

 welded off. The complete operation would be rigid and completely 

 welded. There would be no slack or play, no bolt connections of any 

 kind. 



That was our method at that time. And I think that finishes 

 scheme B. 



Senator Stennis. Did you hear the testimony yesterday, Mr. Bauer ? 



Mr. Bauer. Yes ; I did, sir. 



Senator Stennis. For contrast and clarification, even though it may 

 be rejietitious, just contrast what you have described with what was 

 actually done. I think I know, but some could not be here during all 

 of the testimony. You have descrited what you would have done. 

 Now tell us what method was used. 



