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Newbie with a pole barn concern
I am having a pole barn built next week. Just today they finished with the site prep, moving dirt and putting in fill. Due to a hill side the back corner of the building will be 12 inches or so below ground level. They are using extra posts and band boards etc to support the back fill. The concern I have is that prior to them putting the fill down there was about an inch or two of water in the back corner. The water is several inches below the fill and we just had about 10 inches of snow melt last week so I know that is part of it. I am just envisioning my builder digging the holes for the poles and them begin full of water. In the county I live in they require a concrete biscuit or concrete footer in the bottom of each hole that has to be inspected before the poles are set and the holes are filled in.
If there is water in the holes when they start digging is this a huge deal or am I sweating over nothing? I am assuming that depending on which part of the country you are in it is not uncommon to hit water if you dig down several feet.
Any input or advice is welcome, Thanks in advance.
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Newbie with a pole barn concern
Wet conditions are never ideal why not wait if you think that it will dry out later? If its always wet how about concrete piers? Not clear from your message as to whether the poles will dug in virgin soil, or into fresh back fill which is not a good thing wet or dry.
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Newbie with a pole barn concern
You are correct on how ground water levels vary. Have family in southern Indiana and they have basements. Here they are called indoor swimming pools or swamps.
Here there is no way I would put a wall below grade. It is going to leak and would rust the wall out. Can it be dug out and opened up to drain?
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Newbie with a pole barn concern
Everything is fresh dig. The place were the barn is going to be sitting is pretty close to the same level as my house, of not higher. My house has a crawl space and it stays dry so I no concerned with it being in water long term, I just think that with the snow melt and the digging I am getting some surface water. A friend of mine has a pump I am going to pump the little bit of water out this afternoon and see if it gets more water or if that is it. Right now I am planning on (assuming I get water in some of the holes) pumping the holes out and putting the concrete in the bottom. Then if the get some more water in them I can pump them out again for the hole inspections. Of course the Indiana weather is constantly changing. A couple days ago there was no rain in the fore cast for next week. Now there is a slight chance every day.
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Newbie with a pole barn concern
I would pump the hole 'dry' and see how much refills -you could have a 'high' running water vein. Also consider do you have sand gravel or clay type soil at the bottom of hole. If the soil at the bottom of the holes looks pretty moist/wet I would suggest going with concrete piers/"posts" to get you up over your floor elevation and use brackets anchore in the concrete for the wood posts upward. Granted maybe overkill. The treated posts can survive down in the ground but some will still' rot' at ground level because of the moisture coming up and the chemical reaction/leach. I know my brothers barn had that happen on three posts about13- 15 yrs-his area virgin soil but varying types. My barn sits in sandy light gravel with small amout of clay and sofar no issues. Just my .00001 cent worth
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Newbie with a pole barn concern
Heres my 2 cents,I'm not an expert but if you use a larger hole than nessacary,pour in the concrete. [you could also install rebar pins,short ones, while concrete is wet] Let it dry, and when you install poles drill holes in them and,put gravel in the bottom say 6 inches.than backfill with the fill dirt.Gravel will give any water a place to go to,rather than the poles.
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Newbie with a pole barn concern
One problem with drilling a treated post is you can open it up for termites.
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Newbie with a pole barn concern
Do not pour dry bag of concrete into a wet hole and think it is going to set up around the post. Always mix up the concrete even when it is going in a hole full of water.
Adam H. Berkey
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