Pounding dirt

Spencer · Sep 24, 2002

Well I got 21 of my 33 posts set for my pole barn. I still have to pound dirt in 7 of the 21 holes. I can't even explain the feelings that I have for pounding dirt. I should have just filled the whole hole up with concrete and been done with it! I'll try to post a picture of the project tommorow.

Whiskey · Sep 25, 2002

Sencer:
Not sure if your packing them in by hand or not and I agree with you on packing dirt in holes. If your doing this by hand give this a whirl...I took a 2"-3" dia. fence post cut it at about belly button hight on me, drilled a hole through it about 2" down from what I wanted be the top, put a 12"-14" peice of all-threaded rod throught it two big fenders washers and nuts scured the rod in the post. Finish off with rags rapped around the rods and duct tape for soft grips or bicycle grips or what ever you like.
Will this make it easer to pack anything in the ground ...yes it will....will it make you like doing it more......no it won't!!!!!

Justaplain · Sep 25, 2002

I backfill post holes with pea stone, that solves your problem and gets away from frost action, unless you are lucky in that regard.bcs

theboman · Sep 25, 2002

With treated lumber those posts would rot into in 10-20 years because of the moisture.

MikePA · Sep 25, 2002

No tamping needed with pea stone? I have about 200 fence posts, and I'd gladly exchange $ (pea stone) for no tamping! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Let's see (someone check my math....please /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif)

The volume of a cylinder = (3.141592654) x (radius x radius) x height

The volume of a square post = (side x side) x height.

For 3 foot deep holes.

Volume of a 4" x 4" = 4" x 4" x 36" = 576 cu in = .33 cu ft = .01235 cu yd

Volume of a 9" hole = (3.141592654) x (4.5" x 4.5") x 36" = 2,290 cu in = 1.325 cu ft = .04909 cu yd.

Therefore, volume of pea stone per hole is .04909 - .01235 = .03674 cu yd.

To use pea stone to fill in around 200 4" x 4" posts would require 7.348 cu yds.

Correct?

Spencer · Sep 25, 2002

Here is one of the big holes I have to tamp dirt into. I used an 18" auger and went 54" deep. I then used a manual clam-shell PHD to get it down to 58" or so. I put a 16" cookie in the bottom of the hole for a foundation. Local code required at least a 14" cookie but I would have had to special order those. I put two spikes through the bottom of the posts and poured about 8" of concrete in the hole. I have been tamping in clean fill sand about 5 shovel fulls at a time. It takes me about an hour a hole to tamp them full.

DougM · Sep 25, 2002

Fill 1/2 tamp fill just about to the top add water let set
for a few days come back and fill in the rest and re tamp.

That is the way I do mine.

Doug

Justaplain · Sep 26, 2002

Get a load and dump it on your dirt drive. If there is any left over back drag it over the drive. Just watch the snow removal if it hasn't worked in or your lawn mower will catch it.

MikePA · Sep 30, 2002

I called my local stone dealer and he said that 'pea stone' and 'pea gravel' are generic terms and do not refer to a specific product, at least as far as he's concerned. He recommended '2A Modified' stone for setting fence posts. '2A Modified' consists of 3/4" limestone the whole way down to 'fines' which he said will pack real tight. The charge was $8.75/ton with a $45 delivery charge. So, I ordered 9.5 tons (the maximum they can haul in a single axle dump truck). I didn't want a tri-axle dump truck backing over the drainage pipe that sits under the driveway to the pasture.

Hoeman00 · Oct 1, 2002

Around here they call that 411 and the next larger size
which has 1 1/2" limestone and down is 304.
I use the 411 and tamp w/some water and it sets like
concrete.