Bush Poles and Footings

[Spelunx]

I am soon to start building a deck, with a tin roof over the top. The uprights were going to be treated pine poles at roughly 170mm diameter, but I have found a local place that can supply me with Jarrah Bush Poles for around $80 each, at about the same diameter, so I am hoping to go with these.

As they are 5.4 metres high, they weigh around 200 kilos, I was wondering what the best way to use them is.

Would I be best off using the shark-fin style Post Anchor, and getting a few blokes around to help? And if so, what is the prefered method of erecting the poles?

Or would the best way to go be to dig a deep hole for the footing, and then just drop the pole into the hole, and back-fill with concrete?

Has anybody got any experience in using bush-poles? I am really concerned that it will be too much mucking around to get the poles into place, but I really like the look of them.

Cheers

Jayson.

[echnidna]

stick em in the ground.

[Spelunx]

stick em in the ground.

Any danger of termite invasion? How would I protect them?

[soundman]

Just dunk the end in a bucket of creosote first.

[ausdesign]

If its Jarrah as in 'eucalyptus marginata' my notes say - termite resistant & ok for in ground use.

[Spelunx]

If its Jarrah as in 'eucalyptus marginata' my notes say - termite resistant & ok for in ground use.

Woah, slow down there Poindexter!!!!

Not sure about the botanical name for it, but it is SW of WA Jarrah, so I assume that is correct.

Part B of this question is, then: How do I calculate the size of the footings for a 170mm diameter pole, 5.4 metres high?

Cheers

[echnidna]

another important question you should ask is how to lift these heavy poles up to put them in the holes

[ausdesign]

My wife calls me many things . . . but never Poindexter !
She tapped me on the shoulder the other night & said - Honey.
I thought . . hello, but that's what she wanted on her toast. !

The size of the pad is determined by the amount of load on the pole from the area it's supporting. The depth of the hole is determined by the type of soil & the depth required to achieve the required resistance.
If the pole requires lateral bracing then there may be a requirement for bulk concrete of a certain size & depth, over riding the normal founding depth to enable the bracing to be met.
Not being very helpful but you've asked a very open ended question.

[Spelunx]

My wife calls me many things . . . but never Poindexter !
She tapped me on the shoulder the other night & said - Honey.
I thought . . hello, but that's what she wanted on her toast. !

The size of the pad is determined by the amount of load on the pole from the area it's supporting. The depth of the hole is determined by the type of soil & the depth required to achieve the required resistance.
If the pole requires lateral bracing then there may be a requirement for bulk concrete of a certain size & depth, over riding the normal founding depth to enable the bracing to be met.
Not being very helpful but you've asked a very open ended question.

I'll have a quick look in the Staynes manual tonight, see if they cover this. I know they have a section of footings, but up until now, I onyl read the bit about conrete footings and stirrups.

Cheers for the help, you have been great.

My wife call me many things too.... but never late for dinner!!

[Spelunx]

another important question you should ask is how to lift these heavy poles up to put them in the holes

I was thinking that... any ideas anyone?

[silentC]

Make an A frame, doesn't have to be as high as the post but near enough. Put the end of the pole over the hole. Lie the A frame down on top of the pole with the feet a few feet away from the post hole and anchor it with a couple of stakes. Tie a rope around the top of the pole, leave a bit of slack (about the same as the distance of the A frame feet from the post hole then tie it to the top of the A frame. Pull the other end of the rope. A frame stands up, then pulls the pole up. Might have to trial and error the distance from the hole and the length of rope between the pole and the A frame.

[Michael Breen]

Spelunx, A guy at the local pub told me that the thing to do is to construct the woodwork and have the poles in place(using the a frame Silent C described) or someting else connected to their bearers etc and the last thing you do is to concrete in the area around the poles. It sounded so counter cultural that I though it must be a good idea. The informant at the pub is a draftsman and former carpenter.
Termites will eat almost anything, including our phone cable when in Perth, but they will eat other things before Jarrah if they can see them on the menu.
Cheers,
Michael

[Spelunx]

Make an A frame, doesn't have to be as high as the post but near enough. Put the end of the pole over the hole. Lie the A frame down on top of the pole with the feet a few feet away from the post hole and anchor it with a couple of stakes. Tie a rope around the top of the pole, leave a bit of slack (about the same as the distance of the A frame feet from the post hole then tie it to the top of the A frame. Pull the other end of the rope. A frame stands up, then pulls the pole up. Might have to trial and error the distance from the hole and the length of rope between the pole and the A frame.

Hey SilentC.

Thanks for this fantastic response, I wasn't quite expecting this level of technical detail, more along the lines of "You get an old Holden ute, and push them up with the roo-bar".

I kind-of get what you are saying, but not quite. Could you perhaps link to a site, or post a diagram? I will try a quick Google as well, and if I turn up anything, will post it here.

Cheers

Jayson.

[Spelunx]

Spelunx, A guy at the local pub told me that the thing to do is to construct the woodwork and have the poles in place(using the a frame Silent C described) or someting else connected to their bearers etc and the last thing you do is to concrete in the area around the poles. It sounded so counter cultural that I though it must be a good idea. The informant at the pub is a draftsman and former carpenter.
Termites will eat almost anything, including our phone cable when in Perth, but they will eat other things before Jarrah if they can see them on the menu.
Cheers,
Michael

I can see what he is getting at, and I think I would probably give it a go on a smaller job..... however the idea of having a deck 2+ metres above the ground, with nothing but the house to stop it wobbling around, kind-of makes me nervous...

I am getting a semi-retired builder, who does errrrr 'cash consultancy' on the side to help me out, but he is primarily a roofer, not a deck-builder, although he has done a bit of it before.

As to the advice about Termites, I will keep that in mind, and encourage my next-door neighbour to build a hosue out of tassie oak or something....