Before the technology advances that we have today, the US Forest Services used lookout towers as the first line of detection for forest fires. These towers, some as tall as 50 feet, provided an opportunity to see the smoke after a summer lightning storm or at the peak of the summer heat. Today these towers have been replaced with drones, cameras, and satellites. Even though they aren’t the first lines of defense, the US Forest Services still use them as an additional tool. When we got a call saying a forest tower was refurbished in the Kaniksu National Forest, we knew we were the right company to supply the bolts for the job.
The final height of the top tower on the Tahoma Lookout Tower is about 27’ tall. The design called for split rings, which are metal fasteners that add additional shear strength to wood connections. With Cleveland Steel Specialties going out of business, Portland Bolt is one of the few companies that stocks the split rings and the grooving tools required to install them. This project called for the use of 4” galvanized split rings that we shipped out with a variety of ¾” headed through bolts. The A307 Grade A bolts lengths ranged from 8” long to 15” long. The next time you see a job requiring shear plates or split rings, give Portland Bolt a call and we can help you out.