question on using pipe as posts?

[BHD]

I have a lot of 6" by about 10 gage old steel pipe/tube, that at one time was part of a center pivot irrigation sprinkler. was thinking about cutting it up and using for posts on a new corral fence.

since it is 1/8" or thinner and only painted, my concern is that it may rot off fast, with manure and such up against it,

If you see my other post I hope to drive these posts in the ground not drill holes,

now my concern is the steel will rot or rust out,

some thoughts I have is to put a concrete fill in them and drop a rebar down in the center, of the cement, my thought is not nessarly to fill to top of post, , but to get up past ground level say a few feet, this would most likely have to be done before the pipe were driven as they would fill with dirt if driven with out the center filled,

another idea was to find some wood posts that were close to the inside and drive them first and then put the steel over the top possibly shaving them just a touch with the steel tube, (don't like this idea as much as some of the preservites are corrosive to steel.

you ask why steel, I want to weld tabs on for the rods or cables to go though and possibly cap the entire fence length with another section of the pipe,

and if it is caped one could not come back in a fix a post or two when it happens very well.

I feed with the loader over that fence section, and would like a fence the cows can't push down or if I do catch the loader it will not tear down the fence.


any ideas? or sugestions,

 

[pat32rf]

I think that it is a great idea IF you dig post holes and fill the pipe to the top with concrete. The steel WILL rust off at ground level but it won't matter. If its good concrete, rebar won't make much difference, just adding something that can rust and break apart the concrete, like on our highway bridges. If you get water down inside of the pipe it's going to freeze and swell the pipe.

 

[yomax4]

I did something similar but i sprayed a crap load of Cold Galvanizing spray on mine. Would have been better to slop it on with a brush. Anyway, Im on year 10 with the 6" pipes filled with concrete and they have caps so no water gets in. I'm sure there is a bit of condensation but the posts are still there and look good..

 

[Lou66]

I used well stem pipe ( 2 ¼ sch 40) for my stock pen.. with sucker rods (one inch round) as the fencing.. I cut the well stem pipe at ten foot and push four foot in the ground with front end loader on a wet week,, then cap them,, welded the sucker rods to the inside every six inches.. this was 20 years ago and it is still standing and working.. I have never painted it.. I still feel comfortable sticking an bull in it for as long as I need.. Lou