Pipe gate installation question

[Stocker Steve]

I plan to put in two 12' lightweight pipe gates in the main approach of a remote farm. My first thought was to put in cut down telephone poles for mounting them, and to back fill with gravel.

Any reason to go bigger than 24'? That will allow for the width of the biggest disk. I am tempted to go 28'.

Any other backfilling suggestions to minimze gate sag?

 

[grannysoo]

You might want to try some of those wheels that go on the end of the gate too. They will stop the sag forever.

 

[cfpinz]

Also depends on what angle they are to the driveway and what the largest piece of machinery (or longest vehicle) is that needs to enter. I got a semi truck and trailer recently and need to do a bit of restructuring at a couple places.

 

[tytower]

Preventing sag with a post is an art form especially in wet areas
The size of the pole is less important than the length of pole in the ground.

We get it down in the ground as far as possible , get small 3-4 inch boulders and put them in a ring at the bottom and ram down -alternatively a ring of concrete a couple of inches thick.
Then fill sides with earth and ram as you go until last 6 inches where we put boulders again and ram them. So it stops the bottom of the post moving around and hopefully stops the top of the post at ground level moving also.

You could make sure of it by burying a dead man across the sag direction

 

[Jalopy]

If you could have the telephone pole longer and run a cable from the outside end of the gate s up to 3'or 4' above gate it will help keep the gate from sagging.

 

[larryshoat]

Eight years ago I put up a machine shed and people teased me for putting a 27 foot door in, I thought it would be far bigger than I would need. Today I can't pull the combine in with the grain head on. I usually look around at what the high flying operators are using (size wise) and figure that is the equipment that I will be buying used in a certain number of years (if I'm lucky).

Larry

 

[Stocker Steve]

We put in two 14' gates. Back filled with class 5 gravel and water, then added an earth anchor to each gate post. Set up like cement and seems to be holding well. We will see next spring. :cboy:

 

[dyates]

I always hang gates a little off level with the end slightly raised. No matter how good you are, ground will settle, etc. After a little breaking in, they end up level.