Pouring steps down to the creek/swimming hole...nope, never done it before!

[ultrarunner]

According to the locals, the worst flood was spring 1993. It followed a massive blizzard that dropped up to 5' of snow. It would have put another foot of water over that pic of the pasture from the road.

OK, maybe I am wrong, but I do not see the rip rap moving around from flooding. The stairwell will be low profile and tucked inside and anchored to said rip rap. They will also be behind(from the direct current) and in voids created by the pigs and the weir. This is about a thousand dollar investment and some time, so I think I am going to throw the dice.

Maybe I screwd up with the rip rap, and should have done what NOLA did in the 30's on the shore of Lake Pontchartrain:

Lately, I am not impressed with ANY pressure treated lumber. I swear, I think they spray it with iced tea and ship it out. The West deck of the house is 11 years old, & 10' off the ground....it is now rotting and will require a complete re-do(with composite). My walk bridge over the creek that is 12 years old...rotten boards. I have 6x6 PT posts in ground for less than 10 years that are rotted off at the ground....I am done with PT wood for deck/stairs/bridges.

Another drawback is PT decks and steps are slick as Owl snot. I did consider a swing up staircase, but really want a 'once and forget it' job. We can get weather moving so fast and unexpected, there is a good chance no one would be able to raise them in time.

I installed green 4x4 pressure treated fence posts nearly 40 years with a 40 year warranty and they will easily surpass the warranty.

I installed some brown treated 4x4 post about 15 years ago and no way will they last 40 years…

 

[Streetcar]

I installed green 4x4 pressure treated fence posts nearly 40 years with a 40 year warranty and they will easily surpass the warranty.

I installed some brown treated 4x4 post about 15 years ago and no way will they last 40 years…

Pressure treated lumber was reformulated about 20 years ago. More water less preservatives

 

[Streetcar]

According to the locals, the worst flood was spring 1993. It followed a massive blizzard that dropped up to 5' of snow. It would have put another foot of water over that pic of the pasture from the road.

OK, maybe I am wrong, but I do not see the rip rap moving around from flooding. The stairwell will be low profile and tucked inside and anchored to said rip rap. They will also be behind(from the direct current) and in voids created by the pigs and the weir. This is about a thousand dollar investment and some time, so I think I am going to throw the dice.

Maybe I screwd up with the rip rap, and should have done what NOLA did in the 30's on the shore of Lake Pontchartrain:

Lately, I am not impressed with ANY pressure treated lumber. I swear, I think they spray it with iced tea and ship it out. The West deck of the house is 11 years old, & 10' off the ground....it is now rotting and will require a complete re-do(with composite). My walk bridge over the creek that is 12 years old...rotten boards. I have 6x6 PT posts in ground for less than 10 years that are rotted off at the ground....I am done with PT wood for deck/stairs/bridges.

Another drawback is PT decks and steps are slick as Owl snot. I did consider a swing up staircase, but really want a 'once and forget it' job. We can get weather moving so fast and unexpected, there is a good chance no one would be able to raise them in time.

Although I am not a professional engineer in Tennessee, I have worked on many structures in the water. Some important things to consider:
make sure steps have foundation below creek bottom.
Have reinforcing steel going from foundation along length of stairs. Restore riprap along edges of stairs.
Monitor riprap and keep it in good condition

 

[MotorSeven]

Or do you somehow sink a a largeish sonotube and pour concrete in it for the base?

I like this idea, gotta figure out how to keep water out of it for the lower pads. Wrap the sonotube in a hd garbage bag maybe....

 

[MotorSeven]

Although I am not a professional engineer in Tennessee, I have worked on many structures in the water. Some important things to consider:
make sure steps have foundation below creek bottom.
Have reinforcing steel going from foundation along length of stairs. Restore riprap along edges of stairs.
Monitor riprap and keep it in good condition

Sounds like a plan....bueno.

 

[Streetcar]

I like this idea, gotta figure out how to keep water out of it for the lower pads. Wrap the sonotube in a hd garbage bag maybe....

Concrete tremie is used to place concrete underwater

 

[MotorSeven]

Concrete tremie is used to place concrete underwater

Never hear of that, pretty neat. I don't have access to one, make one out of Flue Pipe? Not sure I need it:

The water at the base where the pads will go is less than 4" deep and slow flow this time of year. Plan: I'm going to to form it up, knocking the 2x6 boards into the gravel, digging a post hole in the middle & shove a sono tube in there, then bailing the water out right before the pour. If the water seeps back in too fast, will the crete not just displace the water as it's poured?

If we get any rain beforehand and conditions are not favorable, I will nix the pads in the creek for another day.

Setting the staircases today, pic's to follow.

 

[2manyrocks]

I'd like to understand how to pour concrete underwater in this situation myself.

 

[bcp]

I find underwater concrete hard to keep damp as the water keeps me from getting hose spray onto it.



Bruce

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

I'd like to understand how to pour concrete underwater in this situation myself.

The tremie placement is the most interesting method for submersed pours that I have seen, I always wonder how people figure stuff out like this.
I have also seen a concrete pump trailer used. By placeing the output tube into the water at the form base. Lifting the tube as the concrete displaced the water. They also used a rapid set concrete mix designed by an engineer. I don't know the particulars of the mix. Just wished I did.