Weird new stairs problem?!???

[Fuddy1952]

This is weird. I'm having a barn built, and to get to lower level I had pressure treated stairs put in with a 4x4ft landing at top (My idea). Two posts were augered in. One stair stringer is attached to a retaining wall. I told them I'll need to dig down then use scrap 2x6s treated on two sides so I can backfill it, walk over to deck.

I just backhoed and raked it and the one post is 30" long sitting on dirt! Shouldn't it be augered in?

I haven't made final payment, and wonder what to do. Can I drill a hole beside it, attach post to it (parallel)? All along I've been helping, doing some of the work, but although it seems sturdy now, it can't be right.

 

[CalG]

I can't see a problem until the earth was dug away. Around here, stair supports often sit on precast masonry units. (half blocks)

And we get wicked frost.

 

[Fuddy1952]

That 6x6 post is only 30" long though. I could fairly easily dig under it and fill that with concrete, or a block under it. Other posts were augered three feet down, posts set in concrete and tamped. This one is as you see a few inches underground because hill rolls off.

 

[ruffdog]

I would dig deeper, buy a 2x16x16 concrete patio slab, measure and install new post between slab and deck.

 

[s219]

What's your definition of augered in? To me it looks like it was put in OK until it was dug out.

Technically it just needs to be sitting on undisturbed sub-soil below the frost line to be correct (and of course the footing area of the post bottom and the load capacity of the soil type must give enough support, which is likely the case for a stair landing).

 

[Fuddy1952]

It wasn't dug out. It was dug beside it. The supervisor just left. We were able to poke a 4ft piece of rebar underneath until we hit solid ground. He agreed it wasn't right, I'm glad I spotted it now. We'll get it fixed.

 

[atsah]

That wouldn't last one winter here without being bent in every direction in the spring..

I drive angle iron down four feet bolted a foot up with flat rock on all sides of the posts, they stay straight even if we have 40 inches of frost. I did this for 18 posts in my dog yard, none have moved in 14 years..

 

[jaxs]

What's your definition of augered in? To me it looks like it was put in OK until it was dug out.
.

It wasn't dug out. It was dug beside it. .

Now that's funny!

 

[Ford850]

I agree it needs to be replaced. You don't want 3 posts set below frost line, and one on only set inches deep. That shallow post will eventually heave and cause issues so I'm glad the builder is fixing it.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I would be more interested in who on his staff does stuff like that, why, and what else could they have done wrong.

It's exactly why I supervise all my contracted projects. Not watch over ones shoulder or get in the way, but know what's being done. This strikes me as just the typical, out of sight, out of mind mentality in the construction bus.