Setting Pole Barn Post in Western New York?

[ziegler]

I am putting up a 36*48*14 Pole Barn in Royalton, NY 14105 - 50lb snow load, 90mph winds. The building department want the holes 48" deep? Should I go deeper?

Looks like the contractors in the area normally dig a 24" round hole. The building inspector is OK with 12", all I have is a 12" 3pt post hole digger. Should I go bigger then 12"?

The suppler is giving me 2 bags of quick set concrete per hole. Should I put both bags in the hole and wait to set then set post? Put both bags in dry then set the post on top and let harden, post should set in a little - I worry about bottom rot? Put 1 bag in let set, an 1in of stone, pole and back fill with the last bag - should help with twisting and uplift as the pole and concrete are one (uplift) and water should drain so no rot?

Thanks.

 

[ToadHill]

I'd use a construction tube filled with concrete and a post support set on top of the concrete. Set the post on the support and you won't have to worry about bottom rot.

I built mine before I ever saw post supports so I set a large piece of flat 1/2" bar stock into the concrete with several holes drilled into it. Set a piece of aluminum on top of the concrete in the tube and bolted the post to the bar stock. It's been 25 years and I've seen no rot or movement.

Good luck.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I was required to use 20" round footer, 8" thick. The concrete needs to be poured under the post as a footer.

 

[pat32rf]

What are you using for posts on/in the concrete? Up here we would pour sonotubes (down to bedrock or below frost level)and set brackets into the cement that keep a pressure treated 6x6 or 8x8 up off the concrete and out of the moisture.
If we were doing it without a permit we would dump 6" of stone into the hole, drop in the post, tamp stone chips around it then pour used oil into the chips.

 

[RPK]

Your area must have a 4 ft. frost depth. Depending on the soil type a 12" round footing is probably o.k. depending how many posts are in the ground. More posts means less load on each post. If you use "in the ground" pressure treated lumber you will not have to worry about the posts rotting out. Morton Buildings has been doing this for years. They drill a hole in the ground, pour in concrete, let it set a day then set the posts on the footing and then backfill the post. You have to ask for pressure treated lunber that can be buried in the ground. Most lumber yards don't stock this material. A good lumber yard can get easily enough.

 

[bighands]

hey there i live right around the corner in clarence here they required 2 pieces of rebarb in bottom of post for strengththere was no need to put a bag under post i used 3-5 bags of concrete around it do yourself a favor do the same stuff is cheap home depot has the best prices
as far as hole size they required 18" here but i bet 12 would be ok good luck

 

[forester2]

You might want to check w/ Just Barns in Java Center. I recall they had some interesting precast stuff including one that transitioned from PT to non treated above grade.