New shop build, beginning stages with questions

[rangerfredbob]

It's tapered, but yeah... what a mess... I have a picture I'll try to remember to post up tonight...

 

[rangerfredbob]

Here's a picture from Yesterday, of course it rained more today...

 

[EddieWalker]

That's really a mess. I'm not a fan of sono tubes, but in your case, that's really all you can do. I would buy a bigfoot base for the sonotube and put my post inside the tube, then pour concrete if your inspector will allow it.

Bigfoot Systems construction footing forms - the best!

 

[truckdiagnostics]

Yup, come in with the hoe dig it out place the sono tube with the wide base, attach pole to concrete, all done. Be thankful you only had one out of 14.

 

[rangerfredbob]

I've given up digging by hand, I'm down 5' and have at least another foot to go, gonna rent an excavator to finish the job, and might as well dig the stumps I need dug...

Few pictures for scale, one of me in the stupid hole, one of junk I've pulled out of the hole (that's one of about 15+ wheelbarrow's), one of the junk floating in the water at the bottom and one of the hole and the little bit of actual dirt I've pulled out...

 

[rangerfredbob]

Rented the excavator, found the bottom of the hole which is about 6.5' deep (haven't measured, but close to that...), I even got ahold of the inspector and I can do it the easy way. Build a wood box for the concrete footing (just go 2'x2' plywood) then fill the rest with 3/4" minus gravel, so that just adds a couple yards to the gravel order to almost 30 yards...

Forward progress! Hope to be pouring the footings for the poles this weekend, then get the holes inpected, then put poles up. I should check into who to get gravel from tomorrow...

 

[EddieWalker]

At least your smiling!!!

Glad to hear that you have it figured out now and it's just a matter of putting the pieces together to move forward.

 

[rangerfredbob]

Ok, good news, I have concrete in the 13 easy holes right now, have the box made for the other one just have to do some cleanup at the bottom before I drop the box in then mix up the 10 bags of concrete...

Tomorrow the first inspection is scheduled, and should be getting the first load of gravel in, hopefully putting posts in on Saturday!

The F350 squatted a touch with the 50 80 pound bags of concrete, but it made it home

 

[EddieWalker]

... 80 pound bags of concrete, but it made it home

Too late now, but there is no reason to ever buy 80 pound bags of concrete. When I did the math to compare what it costs per pound for 80, 60, 50 and 40 pound sacks of concrete, it was about a penny difference, and sometimes Lowes or Home Depot will have a sale on the smaller sized sacks that make them a lot cheaper per pound then the 80 pounders. Back in my 20's I didn't know any better, but now I hate lifting those big mothers. Depending on what I buy, I can put three 60's in my mixer and never wear out.

I have a 16 foot trailer and a half ton truck. I can put two full pallets on my trailer, which I have mixed in a single day. I back the trailer to where I'm working, put the mixer on the ground right at the edge of the trailer, and then only handle the sacks a few feet to the mixer. Staging is everything!!!!

 

[rangerfredbob]

My timing didn't work out, it's prime time so home depot rearranged things... break point for cheaper price on 80lb bags was 42, break point for 60lb bags was 104 or something, it would have cost almost $70 more for the same volume of 60lb bags, a few months ago they were exactly the same cost per pound...

Of course I didn't do my math right so I just sent the wife to Lowes for 4 more bags...