Removing concrete posts.....

[JDub]

Next weekend I need to remove 60m of old fencing in preperation for my new colorbond fence installation.

The fence is the pailing type with concrete posts.

What is the best way to remove these posts without killing myself?

Should I cut them off at ground level? and if so what with? Or should I aim to get the whole thing out of the ground?

Any advice is appreciated

Cheers

[Barry_White]

Hire a dingo and lift them out and then you maybe able to sell them to cover the cost of the dingo hire.

[Ivan in Oz]

Go with Bazza,
also soak them if you can.
It will make it so much easier.

Count

[DavidG]

They are usually concreted in and are hard to get out and useless to sell.

I had the same job to do with my next door neighbour and we broke them off and used an angle grinder to cut the reo-rods.

[Bob Willson]

As Bazza said but instead of a Dingo use the biggest backhoe that you can get onto the property with a chain for lifting the posts out of the ground.

[TassieKiwi]

If your soil isn't too clayey, and machine access is a problem, you could try 'jetting' them out. THis would need only a piece of pipe as long as the posts are deep, connected to the garden hose. Turn it on, shove it down beside the posts in a few places and pill them out - use a long piece of plate chained on to the post as a lever. Better still, get someone else to do the hard bit.http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/images/icons/icon7.gif

[wombat47]

I read somewhere of a way of removing wooden posts - bolting a block of wood to the post, positioning a car jack underneath the block and jacking it up. Never tried it so can't verify if it works but it might be worth a try in a tight spot where you can't get large machinery.

Giving the ground a good soak will certainly help - but you have to get the water down to the depth of the posts.

[ROB NZ]

I don't know what Australian concrete posts are like, but I've planted and removed (on the orders of SWMBO) more concrete posts than I care to remember, on our 10 acre block. Remove them by digging down about 600mm. (Ours go down about 900, and some have a small"foot"). Here , at that depth, the ground is softer, and with a bit of water, and some rocking back and forth they loosen up quite easily. Grasp them firmly to your chest, (gloves help) and using your legs to do the lifting, out they come! Incidentally, I've used about 100 of the beasts to provide a good level concrete floor in my greenhouse.

Pay my air fare and I'll pull them out for you!!!

[Barry_White]

Pay my air fare and I'll pull them out for you!!!
Looks like another Kiwi trying to get here on the cheap.

[JDub]

They are usually concreted in and are hard to get out and useless to sell.

I had the same job to do with my next door neighbour and we broke them off and used an angle grinder to cut the reo:rolleyes: -rods.

Thanks for the advice all, I was trying to avoid getting big equip etc in as I am aiming to keep the costs down as much as possible (hence taking the fence down myself rather than paying the fencers to do it).

I will see how deep the posts are, and attempt to get them out, if they are too deep and the ground is too hard I will do as DavidG suggests. I think I can borrow a small jack hammer from a mate so that may help a bit.

Cheers

P.S. Nice try Kiwi :rolleyes: :)

[LineLefty]

Having just travelled around the South Island of NZ, I just can't understand why Kiwi's want to leave such a beautiful place to get pricked by a syringe on Bondi beach.

Give me a full workshop, a guitar and a little house in Renwick and I'd be set!

[duckman]

Next weekend I need to remove 60m of old fencing in preperation for my new colorbond fence installation.

The fence is the pailing type with concrete posts.

What is the best way to remove these posts without killing myself?

Should I cut them off at ground level? and if so what with? Or should I aim to get the whole thing out of the ground?

Any advice is appreciated

Cheers

Somehow I missed your post. You've stated you have a pailing fence. Are concrete fence posts in the ACT the same as those that were 'trendy' here in Vic a decade or two ago? Ours measure about 100 x 45mm with three length of plain wire embedded into the concrete to tie the rails onto the posts.

If that describes yours, then frankly I'm surprised that the posts haven't removed themselves from the ground. These things are an abomination and haven't been used here for quite some time. Cypress pine is now the preferred material, but I digress.

Unless fencing methods in the ACT are very different from here, you'll find the posts haven't been concreted in. Just a little cement mixed with soil from the hole backfilled and tamped down around the posts.

Have you tried to remove one? Just moving them back and forth manually should loosen them enough to allow you to pull them out, assuming the ground isn't rock hard due to lack of moisture.

You might like to take a trip down to a plant/tool/machinery type place if you have one locally. I'd be very surprised if they didn't have something just for the job at hand, and probably won't break the bank.

HTH,

Mark.

[DavidG]

JDub
To break them off we just used a sledge hammer. Back of a block buster would do.
They break up real easy. One good wack at the base and they should snap.

[soundman]

as duckman says grab a hold of one, shake & wriggle it like buggery, if it moves your in business.

the old bumper jack from the XC falcon & a few loops of chain & jack it out.

one of those fancy high lift 4WD jacks would probably be better but more expensive.

dry weather won't be a help maybee a serious watering or wait for the wet to come in.

If'n they dont budge see other comments above.

cheers

[JT-68]

Did same job myself a few months back.

You'll need a spade, sledge hammer & a grinder.

Dig around the posts until you come across the footing.
Hit base of post a good half dozen whacks with sledge hammer - it should crack at base & if lucky, get a reasonably clean break
Grind off the rio extrusions.

Bobs yer uncle.

JT

[JDub]

Did same job myself a few months back.

You'll need a spade, sledge hammer & a grinder.

Dig around the posts until you come across the footing.
Hit base of post a good half dozen whacks with sledge hammer - it should crack at base & if lucky, get a reasonably clean break
Grind off the rio extrusions.

Bobs yer uncle.

JT
Yep cheers mate,

Removed them all on the weekend. I dug about 1/3 of them out completely and the other ones I did exactly as you have stated above. They bust up pretty easily if you hit them hard enough. New 6 foot colorbond is being finished today... looks great so far, thanks for all your suggestions.