[alma-config]antenna station construction

[Simon Radford]

Mel, et al.

In our current timetable, the antenna pads will be constructed at 
Chajnantor starting in 2003 October. These will be for the compact 
configuration at the array center. Somewhere between 25 and 40 stations 
will be constructed each season (October through May).

In order to meet this schedule, we must have a configuration plan and a 
foundation design very soon and we cannot delay the bidding process 
beyond early April. We may be able to make load tests on some of the 
first stations, but will not have a long period to review those results. 
  Load tests at the VLA would not be very instructive because the soil 
conditions are completely different from Chajnantor.

Simon