cementing 3 1/2 inch pipe

[RyanE7]

yo yo yo :stop:
building a new bull pen.

im using 3 1/2 inch pipe. what do you guys think about having the posts stick out of the ground 5.5 feet and 2.5 feetish in the ground with a 12 inch hole fulla cment. just wanna be sure i dont have to little post in the ground.

the posts are around 30 1/2 feet long an i dont think i need 10 ft posts so im trying to get 4 posts from that.

 

[SALTBRANCH2]

I don't think that's deep enough myself even with concrete but I was always taught to set them deep. I went 4' deep, spaced 4' apart with bridge (rail road) ties. I am curious to see what others think too.

 

[bball]

I don't believe that's deep enough, especially for how deep I suspect your winter frost line gets (6 feet maybe). Frost will heave them up slowly over a few years at that depth. I would sink 10 footers.

 

[JMJ Farms]

I don't believe that's deep enough, especially for how deep I suspect your winter frost line gets (6 feet maybe). Frost will heave them up slowly over a few years at that depth. I would sink 10 footers.

I agree. 4' in the ground and 6' above. With 30.5' posts/4= 7'6 1/2". If you leave 5.5' feet above ground then you've only got 2'1/2" below. It might work but if I had plenty of pipe I'd set them deeper.

 

[RyanE7]

i was on the side of it being not deep enough too, i was trying to get more for my 45 dolla pipe. so i guess ill cut 10 footers an call er a day. thanks

 

[Brute 23]

Sorry but I would not chance it. You would hate to look at it 2 years from now and your whole fence be leaning. Then you will be really upset with your $45 pipe.

 

[ChrisB]

I would make sure you get well below the frost line and try to have a bell shaped hole (bigger on bottom that tapers toward the top) filled with cement. But that gets to be a lot of cement. I would be inclined to just drive the post in the ground alone hope that the frozen ground would slide along the post instead of pushing it up. Maybe then run a hot wire inside to keep them from rubbing on the fence.