Construction of Laminated posts for Pole Barn

[masscity]

I didn't read all of the posts. I have a Cleary PB built in 2014. They use treated 2x6 nailed together, they don't warp and they are treated completely through.

Look at the top how the trusses are set into the column and bolted. Everybody who looked at the quality of my PB liked it.

 

[CH4Ohio]

Buy Permacolumns. Have them delivered with the laminated wood already bolted / attached to the concrete end that goes into the ground. They are ready to set in your holes with concrete footers right off the truck. These are engineered and stamped with their construction details. No wood in the ground and straight square posts above ground to support your building.

 

[Midniteoyl]

Perma-columns are expensive as as get out.. I am not going to live long enough to matter, especially in the sandy soil I have.

 

[Midniteoyl]

Just nail them together? 3" galvanized, 3 nails every 10" or so. Both side for the first two boards and then just the one side for the 3rd? Or some adhesive also?

The factory made ones are usually glued together then 'cinched' together. Basically a wire that is pulled tight to hold like a screw.

If I were to make my own, I would use adhesive, some 4" screws to hold them straight and tight together (dont need many, from both sides), then pound in some 4 1/2" 30D ring shank nails for strength (2 or 3 every 18" minimum). Would be strong, IMHO.

 

[BlueKnife]

Just nail them together? 3" galvanized, 3 nails every 10" or so. Both side for the first two boards and then just the one side for the 3rd? Or some adhesive also?

I've made many of them. I use construction adhesive between each layer, then 2 1/2" screws in a zig zag pattern roughly every foot or so. This pulls the layers tight without the screws sticking all the way through the two layers and interfering with placement of the third layer. Once at least three layers are fastened together this way, I finish with 4 inch pole barn spikes, also in a zig zag pattern. I have a jumbo nail gun that will nail up to 5 1/2" spikes, so it's easy for me. It wouldn't be worth buying one for one building though. Just have to man up and hand nail it.

I have been considering different means of securing the boards. Has anyone thought about steel banding strap? I’m looking at posts 14’ long. With 3 or 4 continuous length boards, It seems a strap placed in between each wall girt would be quite suitable. Let’s hear any comments.

I'm not following you. Securing what boards? The wall girts are normally nailed to the columns (either laminated or monolithic) with pole barn spikes. No steel banding involved.

 

[CH4Ohio]

Perma-columns are expensive as as get out.. I am not going to live long enough to matter, especially in the sandy soil I have.

Maybe they are expensive . . . compared to gluing a few 2"x6"s together. I just know that I didn't want ANY wood in the ground. Maybe treated posts would outlive me, but I don't think they will outlive the rest of the building, and I don't want the foundation to be the first thing to rot off right at the top of the ground.

This isn't where I'd focus on saving money.

 

[CH4Ohio]

Perma-columns are expensive as as get out.. I am not going to live long enough to matter, especially in the sandy soil I have.

However . . . You can always order just the concrete piece with bracket attached and then make your own ABOVE-GROUND laminated column to bolt into the bracket. This would be a cheaper option.

Probably still a little expensive, but then everything costs a lot of money these days. This is just one option to keep from burying wooden posts that start rotting the day you install them.

To be honest, I didn't even compare costs on the last job we did. I just told the guy that I didn't want any wood in the ground.

 

[BlueKnife]

However . . . You can always order just the concrete piece with bracket attached and then make your own ABOVE-GROUND laminated column to bolt into the bracket. This would be a cheaper option.

I completely agree about not having wood in the ground, but there's no need to get the post bases with the concrete attached. Perma Column sells just the brackets that you can wet set into the concrete piers when you pour them. These are what I use. Brackets to connect post-frame structures to concrete foundations To be honest, I'm not quite sure why they bother making them with concrete attached. Seems like the only thing it would get you is additional shipping cost. On some jobs, I build my own brackets, since I have steel fabricating tools and ability. Downside to the ones I make is they are not powder coated, which may or may not matter, depending on the location.

I would definitely not want to get the ones with the wood part of the post attached. It's so much simpler to set the brackets precisely without a post to deal with. Then you can build the wall assembly, girts and all, while it's laying on the ground, then raise it into place and bolt it in. No temporary diagonal braces everywhere, no ladders or climbing up the wall carrying girts.

 

[Midniteoyl]

However . . . You can always order just the concrete piece with bracket attached and then make your own ABOVE-GROUND laminated column to bolt into the bracket. This would be a cheaper option.

Probably still a little expensive, but then everything costs a lot of money these days. This is just one option to keep from burying wooden posts that start rotting the day you install them.

To be honest, I didn't even compare costs on the last job we did. I just told the guy that I didn't want any wood in the ground.

The problem is the ~$300 cost, each, plus ~$300 shipping depending on where you get them. At that cost I could pour a stem wall all the way around.

 

[Midniteoyl]