Fencing question

[bunyip]

... & Bunyip. This is a bloody interesting product. The only foam I've ever used is to plug a 'household' hole.

How did you hear about it? Research or a conversation?

stumbled across it when I was looking at post hole digging which was new to me a year ago, have used the cans to plug holes but never in bulk but have since found out the expasion rate is 20:1 and I can buy a 2 litre kit for about AU$35 plus $15 postage from Sydney.
The info here has been helpful but still don't know how big the optimum gap needs to be.

 

[Diggin It]

The info here has been helpful but still don't know how big the optimum gap needs to be.

For dry concrete, about 3 inches. For a 4x4 pressure treated wooden post, I dig about an 8-10 inch diameter hole or whatever I can get with a standard scissor type manual post hole digger. For a 3" metal post for chain link fence, I end up with the same size hole because of the digger, but use more concrete to fill the hole.

I guess it depends on what you have to dig with. A 10 or 12" powered auger would be fine for most holes.

 

[Diggin It]

We use foam for setting our poles at the utility i work for. Works great. Only problem is getting rid of the dirt. But I致e set 100+ foot poles with foam. Our original stuff didn稚 work in water, meaning, it sit on top of the water, the water would recede, and leave a void. Our new stuff with push the water up, and out.

How long ago? I'm thinking longevity will be an issue. Ground moisture, freeze/thaw cycles, wind load coupled with the cable tension load causing movement/swaying and so on. A 100' pole is going to move around a bit over time. I see 40s leaning considerably after only a few years. Has this stuff been in use long enough to know how it will or won't decay or compress/compact over time in real life application?

I know for certain that the consumer grade canned insulation decays when exposed to any elements. So far, it seems to be OK inside walls without exposure, but it doesn't get the stresses of movement like it would around a pole in the ground.

 

[Timm250]

They set utility poles with this in my area after the 2009 ice storm & they are still standing as straight as the day they were put in.

 

[HickoryFarms]

How long ago? I'm thinking longevity will be an issue. Ground moisture, freeze/thaw cycles, wind load coupled with the cable tension load causing movement/swaying and so on. A 100' pole is going to move around a bit over time. I see 40s leaning considerably after only a few years. Has this stuff been in use long enough to know how it will or won't decay or compress/compact over time in real life application?

I know for certain that the consumer grade canned insulation decays when exposed to any elements. So far, it seems to be OK inside walls without exposure, but it doesn't get the stresses of movement like it would around a pole in the ground.

I’d say it’s probably been available to us for maybe 7-8 years. Here is the stuff we use:

Rainbow, Pole Setting Foam, 7 cubic feet (1 kit)

I’ve had to pull a few that have been foamed and it can definitely be a chore compared to a dirt tamped pole.

 

[PILOON]

We have used foam to float our docks for years.
The blue or pink foams are generally urethane and as such do not absorb water, closed cell.
The white is polystyrene and that absorbs water like crazy, is open celled

The white would cause rapid decay of the wood in my opinion (if that is what I saw being used in the film clip)

 

[jfh28]

I’ve had to pull a few that have been foamed and it can definitely be a chore compared to a dirt tamped pole.

that makes sense....the surface tension on a dirt tamped pole would be the circumference of the pole......the surface tension on the foamed pole would be the circumference of the foam which I'd guess would be close to twice the size of the pole.......so a lot more pulling power needed........Jack

 

[stuckmotor]

The only thing I've ever packed around a wooden post is dirt. In an emergency situation, I added some gravel. The jury's still out on the gravel.