any construction tips?

[90Xjay]

I am getting ready to set 4 steel poles in the ground to build a carport cover.

The steel is 11 guage square 4 inch tube, 18 feet long, the holes are 3 feet deep, so I will have 15 feet sticking up.
I plan on it taking about 2.5 - 60# sacks of ready mix concrete to fill the holes.
I really want some advice as to how to set the poles still after I get them plumb.
I have set wood in the ground and I just nailed in prop sticks on 3 sides while the concrete set. But these poles are tall, heavy and awkward and you can't just nail into a steel plole:lol: :lol:

I thought about taking a 2X4 and cutting two lengths about a foot and clamping them to the pole with big wood clamps to give me some surface to stick a prop under but thats all I can come up with.

 

[redrooster]

Clamp the 2x4 to said pole instead of under it for a prop.

 

[TwistedCU]

You're pretty tall, just stand there and hold it until it's dry. You will, of course have to do one at a time.

 

[90Xjay]

You're pretty tall, just stand there and hold it until it's dry. You will, of course have to do one at a time.

urple: urple: urple:

got three in today, I tell you, at 15 feet tall, it's gonna be interesting welding those beams on the ladder.:shock:

 

[redrooster]

They'll work better if you weld them on the pole, not on the ladder.





Ok. That was weak.

 

[90Xjay]

They'll work better if you weld them on the pole, not on the ladder.





Ok. That was weak.

My ladder is fiberglass, so .. naa naa naa naa naaah8)

urple: urple:

 

[cewtwo]

Umm... Err... Duct tape?

The handyman's secret weapon?

The only thing I can think of (and have used in the past) is a ground level brace of 2x4 or 4x4s to hold the poles in the correct position. It will increase costs and you would still have to brace the braces.

You will take a picture and show us this carport when it is done?

 

[YJoffroad]

Well it sounds like you've got things pretty much under control I was just going to suggest running string between them and then anchoring the string to the ground(w/tent stakes or something similar). It's worked well for me in the past.

 

[90Xjay]

Well it sounds like you've got things pretty much under control I was just going to suggest running string between them and then anchoring the string to the ground(w/tent stakes or something similar). It's worked well for me in the past.

I got my last pole in yesterday and each of them are plumb, I measured outside edge to outside edge on the length and one side is 3/4" longer, I can deal with that much on 16 feet.

 

[90Xjay]

I haven't been around much this weekend, I got the carport for the RV finished except for the side panels that I need some bracing for.

Man, you talk about work! If I worked that hard in my sales job, I'd be retired by now.:lol:

Hanging 20 foot joints of 6 inch c- purlins 15 feet up is a bee-ooch. My wife couldn't be much help and most of my friends were out of town this weekend, but one did show up and help me get some of it up and clamped so I could weld it up.

I went through nearly 4 pounds of 6018 rods and braced the heck out of everything, it's sturdy, and I'm worn out.