Pole Barn, Pole Question

[patrick_g]

There are plastic sleeves designed to use as "boots" on poles to be set into the ground. These prevent earth-wood contact. They save some $.

I have heard folks say but what if you make a hole in the sleeve. The answer was, "Don't make a hole in the sleeve."

I suppose you could pour something in between the wood and the plastic to help keep water out of a pin hole but the plastic looked to be pretty tough.

I'd think you would want to make sure there is a good seal between the plastic and wood at the top of the sleeve so rain or condensation can't get down in it.

Best of luck to the OP and hope your bld turns out fine.

Pat

 

[flusher]

Good evening to all. I'm new to the forum here but I truly like it. There is a wealth of knowledge here from what I've read that I have not found any where else. I will try to be brief.
I'm currently in the Army serving in Afghanistan. This will be my last combat tour and then I will leave the Army for nice civilian life. I have been saving for a nice horse barn for three combat tours. When I return in December construction will begin.
My question is, have any of you ever made nail-lam beams for poles for your pole barns? I have seen many, many photo's on the web of these. It seems as they would be much easier to erect than a solid 20' pole as they go together in pieces. Also, if you have, I thought I read some where that you should not use more than three 2"x6"'s together. Is 2"x8"'s better?

Nail-lams are OK, but I prefer glulams. I couldn't find suitable 6x6 redwood posts for the gate to my Japanese garden, so I made my own glulam posts from 2x4s and 4x4s. Use Titebond II exterior grade wood glue and a lot of clamps.

I coated the bottom ends with green wood preservative and then overspraed with black auto body undercoat for added protection. I like the decorative scalloped look of these posts and they're probably as strong as single 6x6 posts.

Cedar shingle roof completes the job.

 

[FrogLick]

The laminated post were discussed here several years ago and several engineers on the forum did not like the idea. Their problem with the system was that where you join the pressure treated with the untreated section you are creating a hinge point that regardless of how you join the two will be weaker than a solid post against wind load. Pole buildings are not sheathed with ply and tin does not offer any lateral stability to speak of so the poles are taking the majority of any side load.

Can稚 say myself but I thought I would pass on what I recall from a previous discussion for consideration.

MarkV

True that pole building are not usually sheathed with ply but some other diagonal bracing would normally be used for stability which would take the wind load (bending moment?). The poles take the compressive load of the trusses, roofing, etc. and are strongest in that vertical direction. I don't think that a well secured joint would materially weaken the pole function. The usual metal siding and roofing is not considered structural.

I'm getting ready to build and I believe that Morton now almost exclusively uses the laminated pole construction method with diagonal metal strap bracing in two directions at all corners (and mid-wall on longer structures). Supposedly the advantage of laminated over solid is the increased straightness and resistance to long term warping & twisting inherent in long solid poles. Makes for straighter and easier to plumb walls. I've looked at a neighbor's 60' x 16' x 120' Morton barn build on an open hilltop; they include a wind and snowload warranty as standard. Since being built we've had several wind storms strong enough to snap and/or uproot numerous trees on my property and his barn has been steady as a rock so it appears to be well engineered and built. He's had 2 more Morton structures build since the first one and I'm certainly seriously considering them even though they're a little more $.

 

[MarkV]

True that pole building are not usually sheathed with ply but some other diagonal bracing would normally be used for stability which would take the wind load (bending moment?). The poles take the compressive load of the trusses, roofing, etc. and are strongest in that vertical direction. I don't think that a well secured joint would materially weaken the pole function. The usual metal siding and roofing is not considered structural.

I'm getting ready to build and I believe that Morton now almost exclusively uses the laminated pole construction method with diagonal metal strap bracing in two directions at all corners (and mid-wall on longer structures). Supposedly the advantage of laminated over solid is the increased straightness and resistance to long term warping & twisting inherent in long solid poles. Makes for straighter and easier to plumb walls. I've looked at a neighbor's 60' x 16' x 120' Morton barn build on an open hilltop; they include a wind and snowload warranty as standard. Since being built we've had several wind storms strong enough to snap and/or uproot numerous trees on my property and his barn has been steady as a rock so it appears to be well engineered and built. He's had 2 more Morton structures build since the first one and I'm certainly seriously considering them even though they're a little more $.

FrogLick , I sure would not disagree with you on the advantage of one over the other. The tread I was referring to also brought up the Morton system of pressure treated joined to non-treated wood and that system has received great reviews, if you can afford Morton's price. To me the difference is their system is not a site built laminated post like the original poster is discussing. As I understand it Morton's posts are factory laminated posts made under pressure and heat before pressure treating and the engineers that participated in the last discussion found that to be a better alternative than a site built pole with a hinge. No question that Morton makes a fine building that I would be proud to have.

MarkV

 

[ray66v]

I would not consider anything like a sleeve. until some one convinces me that you can keep the water out, forever.

Just cementing a post in the ground holds enough water against the post to hasten its decomposition. I have replaced many rotted cemented fence posts for customers.

I have built several pole buildings, one is going on 30 years old, and I have not had a pole rot out yet. Probably 50+ poles in the ground more, than 20 years. All still there, still working.

I know poles do occasionally rot. And sometimes so bad, they need to be replaced.

I am glad I did not spend a lot of time worrying about it. There certainly were more important issues.

If it was a huge concern too me, I simply would not build a pole barn.