As far as pouring concrete in standing water, I will not tell you the right way, but the redneck way.

Our outer most post pair the pond had filled to within about a foot of where we dug the holes. We used a tractor with 18" hydraulic post auger to drill holes 4' deep into solid clay. Then we put in 12" (+ or -) hedge posts, filled with dry quickcrete, tamped it in and left the next day on vacation.

Figuring the likelihood of large amounts of rain being slim, was going to finish putting the rest of the posts in when we got back.

Well Murphy showed up, as would be expected, and all the best laid plans of mice and men foiled. We got rain. We got LOTS of rain. We returned to a pond 3/4 full.

So the next three sets of posts had to be installed in the water. Fortunately the water was not so deep that we were able to drive the mfwd tractor out with the hydraulic digger on the loader and drill the remaining holes. (water never got up to front axle level - I would not have risk ruining the front end in deep water).

Drilled two holes at a time with grandson's putting a length of pvc pipe in the hole to keep it's location known (post holes disappear under water and 18" is big enough to loose an entire grandson). We set the posts vertical by using boards attached from the original two posts (thank goodness we got them set on solid ground and they were solid as the Rock of Gibraltar).

Then we mixed up batches of concrete and dumped them around the post in standing water. Now the way we did it was not the correct way. We just dumped it in right from the 3pt mixer that runs off the pto on the back of the tractor. We made it a little extra rich with portland cement. The more proper way would have been made a tube that extended down the hole so that the new concrete would not be exposed to large volumes of water on the trip down. The concrete displaces the water in the hole, the water rises and the concrete sinks, and the concrete sets under water. Ours was no doubt diluted badly the way we did it. But it set up and seems fine.

My logic was, well at least it would be as good as putting crushed rock around the posts, and at best the Portland cement would set up and make it weaker but still concrete. Well it did set up fine and the dock is solid as a rock. The holes were 4' deep so even if the cement portion of the concrete failed, the posts would have been fine. Like I said, I have a wee tendency to over do things. The dock is not going any where.

The last holes were still on dry ground as well as the concrete foundation the land end of the dock sits on. It is very solid. My wife does not like wiggly docks, and she got a solid one. I think I could drive a pickup truck out there if I wanted to.

Anyway, that was the construction technique. At some point afterward, I found out actually how a dock was supposed to be made and the hardware I could have ordered for the hinges, ect. Oh well. It was a learning experience and something three teenage grandsons will remember about their crazy old grandpa for a long time.

Oh, building the two 40' sections of the fixed dock in their entirety in our shop (except for the wood floor part), then putting them out over the water on top of the posts, is an entire other story. But suffice it to say, it turned out all good.

John

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