Fencing brace-post pulling up during install ... Suggestions?

[beppington]

Been replacing an old 4-wire barbed wire fence with new fence for 6-7 months now, & encountered a problem this past weekend.

See diagram below. New fence is 4x4x8' p.t. posts, 8' spacing, Red Brand "non-climb" horse fence wire mesh, & a single 1x6 rough sawn p.t. board along the top as the last piece.

The mesh rolls are 200' long, so we've been bracing a section every 200', so the mesh joints lands on, or close to, a braced section.

This past weekend when stretching the mesh against a braced section, the braced section's far-end post wanted to pull up out of the ground. It got up about 4" before we saw it & backed off. We had been installing only the red brace wire on all the previous brace sections, but when this post started lifting out, we added the second, blue brace wire. That helped, but the post still really wants to come out I think. We just didn't tension the wire as much as I would've wanted to.

This is the first time we've had this happen, with the first 7 braced sections not having this problem. On the others we could really crank the wire mesh tight as all get out, & no posts pulled up. There are no extreme slopes or anything; It's all fairly level.

I'd appreciate any suggestions ... :confused2:

 

[MMagis]

First, let me say that that’s the best diagram I’ve ever seen posted.
In the end, you’re going to need both the red and blue brace wires on all of the braces. Once you get everything tied together, each brace could have pressure coming from both directions. As it is right now, the red wire only should be okay since the pressure is only coming in that one direction. But, in theory that post should not be pulling up at this point. The only thing that comes to mind is perhaps the soil is loose? The horizontal brace being too low could cause it, but I know a lot of folks make an “H” and have no problems. Based on your diagram yours should be fine, that’s how I place mine. Just to make sure I’m not seeing something wrong, the post that’s pulling up doesn’t have any pressure pulling it to the left at this point, correct? It would only have the pressure from the fence pulling it to the right? If that’s right, that post SHOULDN’T being pulling up. Either loose soil or not set deep enough are the only things I can think of offhand.

 

[beppington]

First, let me say that that's the best diagram I've ever seen posted.

Why thank you! I've got me a handy/dandy program called "TurboCAD". Believe it or not I paid 5 bucks for it at Office Depot 8 or 10 years ago. Never bothered trying to upgrade, because it works great for my purposes.

In the end, you're going to need both the red and blue brace wires on all of the braces. Once you get everything tied together, each brace could have pressure coming from both directions. As it is right now, the red wire only should be okay since the pressure is only coming in that one direction.

Understood, but until this past weekend we had had no problems with just the red brace wire. And I have the 1x6 boards on, so there's not much chance any of the others will try to come up now ... I don't think

But, in theory that post should not be pulling up at this point.

That's what I thought, so ... hmmmm ...

The only thing that comes to mind is perhaps the soil is loose?

I don't think it is. We tamped the heck out of these things, on all 4 sides.

The horizontal brace being too low could cause it, but I know a lot of folks make an 貊ｴ and have no problems.

That diagram is to-scale, i.e. the permanent horizontal brace is ~36 above ground. The wire's 48" tall.

Based on your diagram yours should be fine, that's how I place mine.

Again, that's what I thought ... till that sucker started pulling up :confused2:

Just to make sure I'm not seeing something wrong, the post that's pulling up doesn't have any pressure pulling it to the left at this point, correct?

Correct.

It would only have the pressure from the fence pulling it to the right?

Correct.

If that's right, that post SHOULDN'T being pulling up.

:confused2:

Either loose soil or not set deep enough are the only things I can think of offhand.

All posts are 36" deep ... except 3 or 4 (out of about 900' of fence) where we hit rock & gave up. All posts near this brace section are 36" minimum.

Hmmm ...

 

[hawkeye08]

I would put the temporary brace on at a diagonal, near where the pulling is on left top and then go down to bottom of post that is pulling out of the ground.

 

[beppington]

I would put the temporary brace on at a diagonal, near where the pulling is on left top and then go down to bottom of post that is pulling out of the ground.

Hey, I think that might do it!

 

[MMagis]

I need some help understanding what purpose that temporary brace wire will serve.

 

[beppington]

I need some help understanding what purpose that temporary brace wire will serve.

Without it the two come-alongs would be pulling on that far-left post, which would not be braced at all. They would pull it right over/ out of the ground.

Edit: Sorry, I thought you wrote "temporary brace"; I missed the "temporary brace wire" part ... There's no temporary brace wire.
.
.

 

[MMagis]

Now I see, I thought the suggested temporary brace was a wire, but it’s suggesting making the horizontal brace diagonal instead. That makes more sense, but still won’t solve the problem in the long run

 

[Ranger Rick]

The way I see it is that your top come along is pulling against the temporary horizontal brace and pushing the post out of the ground. I would run a brace wire from the bottom of the post that the come alongs are attached to up to the top of the post that is pulling out of the ground. This would resist the force of the come alongs pulling to stretch the fence. If your right hand post was a corner I would use one wire (your blue) to brace the corner. Mid run I think I would use two brace wires like you have.
Rick

 

[grsthegreat]

ive installed the same thing for years, and 1 use 2 wires (red and blue).

I also put all my wooden posts in concrete...this is the only way that they stay in the ground where i live. The post are all 36" in the ground.

something ive been doing lately is to use the tractor bucket as the "temporary post" to pull against. that way i have the wire free to connect to the last post. has saved me alot of time.