Veranda Post support advice

[bensl]

Hi all.

we live in an older owner/builder mud-brick home that has a verandah made with railway sleeper posts. unfortunately the builder dropped the posts directly in the ground and as a result, they have rotted considerably.

post.jpg

my plan now is to prop up each section, remove the post, cut the bottom off and replace onto a stirrup set in concrete.

each post is around 230x130mm so finding appropriately sized stirrups has been difficult. the styandard pryda type full stirrup is only about 75mm wide and 3mm thick so wasn't sure if it would be adequate.

i was thinking of using a pair of 'tornado' style stirrups on each post as they are significant thicker than the others (5-6mm) and can take 125mm posts.

2024-06-12 12_04_59-Hardwood Posts - Garde Timber — Mozilla Firefox.jpg

another option was a t-blade style but i would have to try to cut a 'slot' longways into the base of each post which i thought would be difficult.


a few questions i would appreciate some advice on:

1. does the above method sound ok? posts are in good condition other than where they are in the ground.

2. what size/how deep should the concrete footings be?

3. the bottom part of the stirrup is around 400mm which means by the time i allow for paving and elevating the post a little, they will sit in around 200mm into the concrete footing. is this enough or should i search for a stirrup with a longer base? or add some sort of reo tie?


any advice would be appreciated. cheers

[r3nov8or]

1. Yes, it's common practice
2. really depends on the size of the structure, but imagining a nominal verandah, 600 deep and 30 diameter would likely be ok.
3. 200 into the concrete would be minimum.

More details about the verandah dimensions and roof material might help

[ErrolFlynn]

Modify the standard stirrups that are available, (modify: cut and re-weld as appropriate) or make your own design. Then get them hot dip galvanized.

[bensl]

1. Yes, it's common practice
2. really depends on the size of the structure, but imagining a nominal verandah, 600 deep and 30 diameter would likely be ok.
3. 200 into the concrete would be minimum.

More details about the verandah dimensions and roof material might help

thanks. tin roof around 2m wide. posts are spaced every 3m or so.

20240613_091737.jpg

could prob get them in around 250mm if i dont raise the posts quite so much. would it help to bend up some reo to put though them to add some depth?

cheers

[bensl]

Modify the standard stirrups that are available, (modify: cut and re-weld as appropriate) or make your own design. Then get them hot dip galvanized.

in an ideal world i would get some custom one fab'd up but trying to save a few $$ by using of the shelf products.

[r3nov8or]

Yeah, bend some reo over for good measure. And all things being equal, given it's been there "forever" with no issues, it's probably safe to just dig to the bottom of the rotten posts and "bell" bottom of the sides of the holes a bit too for good measure. But if it's easy digging, better to go to 600

[mic-d]

Are you sure they're in soil and not concrete?

[bensl]

Are you sure they're in soil and not concrete?

not 100%.... i dug down around one of them and they seem to be sitting in a kind of hard packed clay mix. maybe the same stuff as the bricks?

[mic-d]

not 100%.... i dug down around one of them and they seem to be sitting in a kind of hard packed clay mix. maybe the same stuff as the bricks?

That's lucky.