Depth of burying fence posts on different soils

Criterias of choice

Factors on which the choice of material and pole design depends:

• Purpose. Various solutions are being developed for options when it is necessary to build an economical fence between neighboring areas, a respectable fence as part of the entrance group, or a decorative fence to mark the boundaries of zones.
• Type of section filling. The load on the pillars varies significantly, whether it is a light, breathable picket fence, solid corrugated board or heavy brick.
• Required fence height. It is selected based on the recommendations of urban planning norms or SNT rules. In most cases, it is limited to 1.5-2.2 m.
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• Soil type. Sandy, rocky or waterlogged soils require different approaches.
• Possibility of DIY installation. Not all types of poles are suitable for self-installation. In particular, driven piles are mounted only with a special pile-driving mechanism.

The calculation is carried out based on the wind load, type of filling and bearing capacity of the soil. In accordance with the tasks set and the results obtained, the issue of the design of the pillar and the material for its manufacture is decided.

A budget option

A budget method is also possible when constructing a fence and selecting supports for it. Then your choice may be in favor of asbestos cement products. Reliability and low cost are the two qualities that speak in favor of asbestos-cement pipes.

Unlike wooden structures, such structures will serve you for decades. But there are still disadvantages in this option. First of all, it is very difficult to select fasteners for such pipes. This option uses clamps and clamps.

If you do not install a special canopy over such a pillar in time, then it can easily turn into a well; water is collected in the middle of such a well and when it freezes, the water turns into ice, and the pillar can break.

Instead of attaching a canopy, you can concrete the inner cavity of the post, but such an installation will cost much more.

Calculation based on wind loads

Wind is the main load that fence posts carry. The calculation is carried out only for blind fences, taking into account several parameters:

• wind speed;
• air density;
• fence height;
• correction and aerodynamic coefficients.

With a span length of 2.5 to 3 m and standard wind loads, a profile of 60x60-80x80 mm or a round pipe of the same area with a wall thickness of 2-3 mm is sufficient for a fence made of corrugated sheets.

We deepen the supporting elements

If all calculations are performed correctly, then distortions and collapses will not threaten your structures:

1. When calculating the number of pillars, you need to take into account the size of the sections of your product and the length of the entire structure.
2. A very important question is that you immediately understand what kind of soil you are going to drive the supports into. Here we will talk about the quality and chemical composition of the soil itself in which you are going to dig your products.
3. In order for the hole to be dug correctly, you need to take into account all the features of the material from which the supporting elements are made.

Concreting is perhaps the most versatile method when installing pillars.

This method consists of digging a special hole under the support - a hole. In order to make the task easier, such holes are dug using a drill. If you need to increase the efficiency of drilling, then water is poured into such a hole for approximately 10-15 minutes. This is done to make the earth more pliable and soft.

The depth of the pit itself will depend on the height of the entire structure. For example, if the height of the support does not exceed one and a half meters, then it is enough to dig a hole whose depth will be 0.5 meters.

If the pillars exceed the height of one and a half meters, then deeper holes are dug from 0.8 to 1.2 meters. There is even a corresponding proportion that the depth of the pit should correspond to 1/3 of the heights of the structure you choose.

If you decide to bury pillars on soils in which there is no heaving, then you can, in general, do without concreting and use the drilling method. The only caveat is that the diameter of the drill must match the diameter of the post itself. Then the support will fit into the hole very tightly and you can do without concrete.

How to choose depth

Factors influencing the depth of the pillar:

• own weight - the higher it is, the deeper the pit digs;
• properties and mechanical composition of the soil, groundwater level in the area;
• relief - supports require reinforcement for large differences in height;
• close location of bodies of water - during floods the fence may be flooded;
• weight and design of the fillings - some sections increase windage and create additional load;
• installation step - the load increases with its increase.

Effect of frost heaving on fence posts How deep should fence posts be buried? At first it may seem that the greater the foundation, the stronger the post will hold. Many sources recommend installing supports below the freezing point of the soil. But with small loads, this leads to an unreasonable increase in cost due to excessive consumption of material and physical resources.

Table of soil freezing by region
The optimal pinching size for a support at a standard height and average wind load is considered to be 70-120 cm. When the pillar is laid to this depth, the required strength is fully ensured.

Depth of concreting pillars for a mesh fence

The forces of frost heaving that occur in clayey and water-logged soils are reduced by filling the bottom of the pit with drainage materials - coarse sand, gravel, crushed stone. In some cases, strengthening the base of the pillar and drainage system are effective.

Depth of wooden fence posts

Reliable supports for fencing

Deepening concrete support elements of the fence

If we are talking about supports made of concrete or brick, then such structures are used when installing large and massive fences. Brick supports can also be used as decoration for a fence made of any material.

Concrete supports will be the right choice for those who want to save their finances, but at the same time spend their time and put more effort into their manufacture.

When manufacturing and installing such poles, you may encounter a number of difficulties, for example, you cannot install such a pole alone, there may be problems during transportation due to the large weight of the products, but on the other hand, such structures are inexpensive to manufacture, durable and convenient in that they can be manufactured possible right on the spot.

Brick pillars are perhaps the most expensive type of all the above structures. They are usually chosen by those who want to show off. It must be taken into account that a strong and reliable foundation must be laid under such a brick pillar.

Installation of metal poles

Depending on the design load, the supports are secured in various ways: by butting, driving into the ground, full or partial concreting. Combined installation can be used, for example, driving with butting or driving with partial concreting.

ways to install metal fence posts

Butting

A simple and reliable way to install metal supports that do not experience heavy loads. The fillings are made of chain-link mesh, picket fence and other breathable lightweight materials.

For butting the following are used:

• gravel;
• crushed stone;
• broken bricks or other building materials.

The work is carried out in the following sequence:

1. In the places where the supports are installed, dig or drill holes 70-120 cm deep and 15-20 cm larger than the cross-section of the supports. When drilling, first turn the hand drill in one direction, then in the opposite direction, and remove a portion of the soil.
2. Pour a layer of gravel and compact it with a crowbar.
3. Install the stand and fix it strictly vertically.
4. Fill the hole layer by layer with a mixture of gravel and sand, compacting each layer well and spilling with water.
5. The installation site can be sprinkled with earth on top.

To ensure reliable adhesion of the particles to each other, it is recommended to impregnate the layers with a clay solution. It plays the role of a binder and gives the base solidity.

If there is a large amount of work to be done, you can rent a drill with a gasoline engine. With its help, well preparation will take very little time.

Hammering

This is an easy way to install metal fence posts without doing a lot of digging. But no less physical effort will be required. You will need a sledgehammer, with which the pipe is manually driven into the ground, a jackhammer or a special device - a “headstock”. It is attached to the top of a pole and delivers cyclic blows using a falling weight. It is recommended to weld a reinforcing pad to the end of the pipe.

The driving technology is as follows:

1. Before installation, dig pits 30 cm deep at the points marked for the posts.
2. Place the pole vertically, applying several gentle blows.
3. Drive the post to the required depth, constantly monitoring the position.
4. Fill the pit with crushed stone and sand and compact it.

The advantages of driving are economical consumption of materials, readiness for installing sections immediately after installation of the supports.

Concreting

This is a more complex, but reliable method for any soil and any load without restrictions. For concreting, M150-M200 mortar is used. One support will require no more than 30-40 liters of concrete.

Full concreting

This method is used when installing heavy brick or concrete pillars. The pit is filled with mortar to its entire depth, which ensures high load-bearing capacity of the support.

If the site has loose or dry sandy soil, it is recommended to use waterproofing made of roofing felt or dense film. The waterproof material is rolled into a tube and placed inside the well. This measure will help avoid rapid dehydration of concrete and a decrease in its strength.

The technology for completely concreting a fence support includes:

1. Drilling a well or digging a pit to a depth of 0.7-1.2 m.
2. Adding drainage materials - crushed stone, sand, gravel - with a tamper.
3. Installation of formwork in the above-ground part. This is necessary to strengthen the weakest point - the area where the pillar emerges from the ground. For a tighter grip in this place, scraps of reinforcement or steel profile are welded to the post.
4. Installing the pole and securing it in a vertical position. If there is no assistant, the pipe is fixed in pieces of brick, supports or other devices.
5. Filling the pit with concrete. To release air bubbles, the mixture is compacted with a crowbar or reinforcement.

During the process of filling the well, the position of the support can be adjusted. To continue work, you need to wait until the mixture has completely hardened. Depending on weather conditions, this period is 5-10 days.

Partial concreting with a collar device

The method is similar to the previous one, but requires less cement consumption. There are 2 options for installing a post with partial concreting:

• The first method is used on non-heaving soils - sandy loam, sand. The well is drilled to 1/2-1/3 of the required immersion depth of the support. The post is mounted by hammering. The pit is filled with concrete, forming a “collar”. For reinforcement, cross members made of steel rods and profiles are welded into the concreted part.
• The second method is more labor-intensive, but allows you to avoid frost heaving on clay soils. The well is dug below the freezing point and filled with concrete to a depth of 0.7 m. Crushed stone is poured from above to ground level. It is recommended to weld reinforcement at the bottom of the column to ensure strong adhesion of the concrete to the support.

Popular supports

Options for deepening metal fence supports

Pillars made of metal pipes are considered a hit. Such structures are reliable, durable, easy to use, and technologically advanced. Any structure can be welded to such pillars. They can serve their owner for decades.

So, the material for your structures has been chosen. Now the main thing is to make correct and competent calculations. It is important to choose the right place on the territory and calculate the number of poles that you will make.

Materials for corrugated fence

The construction of the fence can be done very quickly if all the necessary materials are prepared in advance.

• Profiled sheeting.

When choosing a profiled sheet, you should pay attention to the thickness, height of the relief (wave), cladding method, absence of a capillary groove, sheet texture and color. It is worth noting that this corrugated sheet has a high level of windage. Be sure to take this fact into account during the design planning process.

• Support posts.

Any material can be used as pillars, be it stone, metal or wood. When choosing, remember that the most affordable and simplest option is a metal pipe. The parameters of the racks directly depend on the load placed on them.

To save time and money, you can purchase ready-made pipes or piles. One of the advantages of purchased support posts is the presence of holes for attaching material, a plug at the top of the pipe and a “heel” for placement on the cushion.

• Cross joists

Square pipes can be installed as crossbars. You can choose generally accepted parameters or listen to the general recommendation, according to which a log width equal to half the width of the pipe is sufficient.

It is impossible to build logs from wood, because this material is susceptible to rotting. The service life of the fence will be reduced and reuse of the sheet will be impossible. Also, you cannot use metal corners, because they are not able to withstand a strong gust of wind.

• Plate holder (bracket) for corrugated sheeting.

Specialized fasteners that are used in the process of assembling the fencing frame using hardware.

• Plugs for pillars (supports).

They are protectors and prevent water from entering the pipes. They are usually made of plastic, but those who like to save money can use special pads.

• Hardware.

This device is necessary for the manufacture of a fence frame without the use of welding. It is necessary to use M6 screws or bolts. Also, self-tapping screws for fastening corrugated sheets and special rivets are used.

Many experts recommend using self-tapping screws, because they have a gasket. It allows you to press the corrugated sheet very tightly without any damage.

• Paint for corrugated sheets.

Paint is used to paint over various damage that may occur during the construction of the fence. It is also painted over the area where the sheets join.

• Decorative end strip for decorating a fence.

A plank in the shape of the letter “P” is installed at the top of the corrugated sheet and protects the owner of the site from cuts and injuries, and the sheet itself from corrosion. The edges of the plank must be bent, otherwise you can scratch the fence during installation and cause the edges of the plank to separate from the sheet.