This, that, and the other

[txdon]

Bobby, no dates yet.
Looks like the rest of this week is a washout, it's raining now and the entrance is in black land.

Kyle, do you have a date?

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Kyle, do you have a date?

Don, its hard to plan anything at my house with 2 kids. I just go with the flow. The weather is hit or miss this time of year. Anyway, my gate is way off in the future.

If you are asking about a date for your gate to come help, Just pick a weekend and let us know.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Yesterday was one of those days. I'm sure you've had them. All the ducks are in a row ready for a swim and dead in the middle of the group you hear clucking.

The other evening I was given an approximate location of the water supply line. It happened to be in the middle of where we're locating the gate posts. I called the water supply corporation yesterday morning after putting two yards of remix (sand and gravel remixed for making concrete) on the truck. The nice lady on the phone was quite firm that they had two days to get me the locate and that chances were most likely they'd take two days to do the locate.

So I unloaded the tractor etc off the trailer and decided to go ahead and deliver the sixteen foot posts for both locations and then spend the rest of the day working at the shop. When I arrived at the east Rockwall location they water supply locate was done, very nicely too.

I started drilling holes at one in the afternoon.

The holes are nine feet deep and eighteen inches in diameter. I put in three feet of real wet concrete because of the holes I'd cut in the bottoms of the posts. Then I put in two feet of clay and tamped it down good. The rest of the way up was concrete.

Our ground here is what they call "expansive soils". A friend of mine lives on a high point and the engineers told him his elevation of the hill will vary four to six inches between the wettest and driest times of the year. The idea of using the dirt/clay barrier between the layers of concrete comes from a suggestion by my father. He thought and I believe he may be right, the layer of dirt/clay might resist clay heave better than a solid cylinder of concrete will.

 

[rtdiggr]

That's Deep.

Shane

 

[wroughtn_harv]

That's Deep.

Shane

Yeah, and we did it again yesterday at the other location, darn.

Today it's double doggone darn cold (I know, ya'll up north would think in the thirties with a stiff north wind as a heat wave but we're not up there) so I'll be preparing the posts that have to be powdercoated I believe.

 

[GaryBDavis]

The holes are nine feet deep and eighteen inches in diameter.

Harv, your post holes are getting deeper and wider every time you do a project. Stop the madness!!!

 

[EddieWalker]

The holes are nine feet deep and eighteen inches in diameter. I put in three feet of real wet concrete because of the holes I'd cut in the bottoms of the posts. Then I put in two feet of clay and tamped it down good. The rest of the way up was concrete.

Our ground here is what they call "expansive soils". A friend of mine lives on a high point and the engineers told him his elevation of the hill will vary four to six inches between the wettest and driest times of the year. The idea of using the dirt/clay barrier between the layers of concrete comes from a suggestion by my father. He thought and I believe he may be right, the layer of dirt/clay might resist clay heave better than a solid cylinder of concrete will.

Harvey,

This is a new one for me. I think I understand the theory of the dirt between the cement, as it creates more of a "plug" that holds it all in place. One solid mass would be more likely to move, but having them split in two allows them to stay in place better.

I might have missed it, but was the pole in the bottom of the hole before you poured the bottom concrete? How lond did you wait until putting the clay in? How did you compact the clay around the pole?

I realy like the holes you cut in the bottom of the pipes. I've been welding on pieces of rebar or bolts to add some strength to my poles. Your holes are allot stronger, easier and simpler. It's the little tricks that you use that make your posts so interesting!!!!!! Thanks.

Eddie

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Gary, when are you coming up here to see the staircase for yourself? One of our common comments when your name comes up is about your approval rating on it.

And Gary I'm a man of sayings, one of them is, "you only regret digging a gate post hole too deep one time."

Eddie, the concrete was poured (hand mixed in wheelbarrow) in both holes before the clay was added. The concrete wasn't set up but it was stiff enough where I didn't worry about the clay and concrete mixing. I tamped the clay with a digging bar with a pancake shape at one end and a chisel at the other. The posts were sitting on the bottom of the hole when I poured the concrete.

Eddie the client has expressed interest in your visiting his home if you get over in this area. I'm sure you still have my number, if not, I'm in the book.

 

[kcir]

Harv,

I am looking at building an entry and have a question for you.

So if I were going to put a 14'x4' entry gate with 1/2" square tube bars every 4" (don't know how much that would weigh yet). How deep a hole and what size metal post would I need to install? East texas sand/clay not far too from Eddie.

I have a 12" auger and have been following your advice on building my pipe fence of deep holes and lots of concrete. I have been digging 3' x12" holes and filling with mixed concrete from my 3 point hitch concrete mixer. It is funny all the onlookers ask, why are you mixing that I just pour the bag in the hole and add water.

Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Rick

 

[TBDonnelly]

wroughtn_harv; the man who's post holes have an echo.

....in a very good way.

Don