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Dock Engineering Question
GuvamintCheese
Member Posts: 38,932
The posts in the water are not set in concrete and were set 3' in the ground with a backhoe. I'm afraid with the weight of the dock it will force down the dock into the water.
Was thinking about building the frame and sitting all the boards on the front of the dock to force it down as far as it will go, then reset the frame to level and build the dock. The posts on the shore are set in concrete.
Any suggestions?
Was thinking about building the frame and sitting all the boards on the front of the dock to force it down as far as it will go, then reset the frame to level and build the dock. The posts on the shore are set in concrete.
Any suggestions?
Comments
Never mind
Mount the cross pieces with bolts or screws so you can adjust if the ice raises the poles over time.
PS - Ice will pull them up....
But that would require undoing a lot of stuff.
Just set the dock 10 to 12" above waterline. That way if it settles a few inches it will not be a problem.
Margaret Thatcher
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
Mark Twain
Swat them a few times with a maul. If they don't move, you are golden. If they do, you will never stop them from moving.
PS - Ice will pull them up....
They are way too tall to hit with anything other than maybe a large trac hoe.
Over time the posts in the water will sink in the mud and your dock will become a waterslide.
I would think a 6' minimum for depth of the posts, especially when you factor in wave action and tidal surges.
Brad Steele
Even if you are that huge guy we have all seen at the gun shows.......sitting there asleep with a book and a pastry in his hands, you will not push them down any further.
Floatation ( plastic 55 gal drums) under the structure should aid in the prevention of shrinkage.
brilliant!
It's a pier, don't over think it!!
quote:Originally posted by k.stanonik
Floatation ( plastic 55 gal drums) under the structure should aid in the prevention of shrinkage.
brilliant!
Use metal collars around the posts and attach them to the deck so the deck can 'float' on the posts.
We typically drive in 4X4's with a sledge hammer until we feel there down enough. Then go from there. Those big posts won't sink any further. Especially once they are all tied together with framing and decking.
It's a pier, don't over think it!!
I hear you and the reason I'm overthinking it is because 1. I fear they aren't deep enough in the ground and, 2. I'd like to cantalever the dock 3' past the posts addin even more down pressure.
They weld up a bucket that is big enough to fit over the post end like a cap, weld on two handles, and put about 30 pounds in the top end of it. Lead, i think.
Put it over the post and bounce it up and down a few hundred times.
Not a job for the elderly or out of shape.
This for pilings too far out to reach with machinery, usually done while standing on a barge.
Not too sure that would work for your little project, but I've also seen docks that were NOT so driven into the bottom get utterly wrecked by ice.
Still, 3 feet into the mud SHOULD be enough. I wouldn't worry about the weight of the dock pushing them down further, it looks like it will be a short dock.
1) leave as is and build fixed height dock as planned. I don't expect the posts will sink.
2) leave as is and build fixed height dock as planned. If one or more posts sink over time, fix it. This will be years down the road.
3) build a floating dock that uses rings around the piers to keep it from moving around. Any number of ways to make your dock float, including air filled plastic jugs (7 gallon containers), styrofoam, etc.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
quote:Originally posted by gearheaddad
We typically drive in 4X4's with a sledge hammer until we feel there down enough. Then go from there. Those big posts won't sink any further. Especially once they are all tied together with framing and decking.
It's a pier, don't over think it!!
I hear you and the reason I'm overthinking it is because 1. I fear they aren't deep enough in the ground and, 2. I'd like to cantalever the dock 3' past the posts addin even more down pressure.
No problem at all.
Three options as I see it.
1) leave as is and build fixed height dock as planned. I don't expect the posts will sink.
2) leave as is and build fixed height dock as planned. If one or more posts sink over time, fix it. This will be years down the road.
3) build a floating dock that uses rings around the piers to keep it from moving around. Any number of ways to make your dock float, including air filled plastic jugs (7 gallon containers), styrofoam, etc.
Great idea and my first thought as I have seen plenty of this kind.
So.............did you hammer them down with the backhoe?
No, my hoe not big enough.
++++ on the floating dock, stainless steel u-bolts looped around the piling and attached to to the dock. You can get 55 gallon drums from restaurants or car-washes, industrial places, that sort of thing. I'm not 100% sure but I believe that a gallon of airspace provides 8 pounds of bouyancy, so use that figure to calculate how many barrels you will need.
PS we once used the barrel float method to float a weir post/base that had washed out into the bay where we were located. It was a tripod, 10' tall and made of scrap railroad line, we used something like 5-6 barrels chained to it and when the tide came up, we attached a line and dragged it back into place, worked like a charm.
We jetted our pilings in at the lakehouse.
Pipe with a nozzle or flattened end hookedup to a waterhose worked around the piling.
Washes right on down
All the pilings on our docks in Mobile bay were jetted in. The pilings were usually there after the hurricane had removed most of the warf. Occasionally we had to replace a few.
The floating dock is the way to go, get the galvanized hardware and use the posts for a guide, you can still go out 3' with no problems.
Watched them jet concrete pilings when the repaired and improved Islandia Marina in Mission Bay.
Margaret Thatcher
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
Mark Twain
Plastic barrels, spray them with real bedliner epoxy if economical.
Don't use rings, use cable, chain or a decent marine rope.
Of course they will sink.
But you probably have a good ten years before worrying.
Hinge the deck to the rear posts, a piece of sucker rod through bore holes in the shore posts will last a very long time.
Why not? Works on the docks on lake Coeur d' Alene, and I suspect they see a lot more wave activity than this pond ever will produce.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
This is before we finished it, but none of my piers are over 4 ft,
prolly close to 3ft. That boat lift has a 24ft barge hanging in it now for 2yrs plus a modified 32x21ft carport on top of the deck.
I don't think your gonna have a problem.
And catch more of those MONSTER trout!!
I never liked the texture of Trout,not even our "Speckled Sea trout".
I would catch n release those big mommas !!!
Let the kiddies have a chance to catch them a time or 3.[;)]
[:D] [:D] [:D]
rent a pile driving "vibrator" that attaches to a backhoe.
There is a great Night stand drawer joke in here, somewhere![:D][;)][;)]
quote:Originally posted by JustC
rent a pile driving "vibrator" that attaches to a backhoe.
There is a great Night stand drawer joke in here, somewhere![:D][;)][;)]
[:D]
Thanks all. I'll post photos....
quote:Originally posted by gearheaddad
quote:Originally posted by JustC
rent a pile driving "vibrator" that attaches to a backhoe.
There is a great Night stand drawer joke in here, somewhere![:D][;)][;)]
[:D]
Thanks all. I'll post photos....
PLEASE DON'T!
Oh, wait, are we still talking about the dock?
OK, nevermind.
Photos away!
I tend to have a few Lites on my
projects too.[:D]
Looks good
I tend to have a few Lites on my
projects too.[:D]
There were more than a few!..[:D]
1) Add bolts through the posts lower on the 2x12's. Right now you are technically carrying the load with only the top 1/3 or so of the 2x12. If it split right there, the dock goes down.
2) Add blocking between the 2x12's every 4 feet or so. Use 2x8's or 2x10's. That ties the 2x12's together and prevents them from deflecting under load. Makes a much more solid load diaphragm.
Last, a good fish trainer would have dinner marching up to the house by now. [;)][:D]