Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Pics - starting new pier

I just put the 4 posts in this afternoon. Changed my mind and put them 8' wide instead of 6'. The pier is going to be in what will be the shallowest part of the pond. For the near right sonotube, I was hitting limestone rocks and couldn't put it in any farther.

I'm going to try to wait until the pond is full before finishing the dock, but might not be able to stand it

...you dog!
It's 5:30 in the morning and now I'm itchin' to go rent an augur and start my project! It looks good. You discovered another blessing for using 6 x 6's over 4 x 4's...alot less concrete to fill da hole. I see that little wash-out gulley in the corner...some inspiration and motivation (you ain't gonna be able to wait )

Sweet, how sweet it is. I'm am about to undertake this project in my new pond currently being constructed. I have been trying to determine what to use steel sq tubing or timbers. I was leaning towards timber because I do not own a portable welder to work steel in the field. Last night the answer was handed to me on a silver platter. My neighbor has a bunch of pipe he has purchased and I ask him a while back if he wanted to sale me some to build fence corners. He said he had some large Galv pipe heavy walled about 3 to 4 inches in Dia he had been given that he would let go cheap. He said they were too long for fence corners and hard to work with because of the size and wall thickness. I started thinking about them for the pier. I made a deal with him and he said get all you want. I went over to measure them to make sure they would be long enough. To my surprise what I found next is truly a miracle. Each post has 2 aluminum brackets bolted to the top of the post. The brackets are 10 inches tall and are u shape with existing mounting holes, another words built on joist hangers. The extruded brackets also have a flange on one side with mounting holes to hang joist cross ways between the post as well. I feel so lucky I think I'm gonna play the lotto tonight. "6,9,13,29,41,43".

Thanks for the update. Looks good so far. I'd love to see more pictures as you build your pier. I just had my pond drained and will be building a pier after it gets cleaned out later this fall. I was thinking of doing exactly what you have done. Thanks for the measurement information too.

How deep are the 3 sonotubes in the ground? About how much concrete did you use in each tube?

Lol you got me Brettski. I finished the pond a month ago but am not happy with the speed (or lack thereof) at which it's filling. We have had an abnormally dry March here though. Last Saturday I used the dozer to create two more drains from the field above to the upper lip of the pond. Also removed a hump of dirt that was channeling some of the runoff around the pond rather than in it. The drain in the pics drains only one part of the field above, and it's starting to wash. I created that drain right after finishing the pond. But seed is sown and there are millions of tiny blades of grass popping up, just can't see them in the pics. The water is slowly rising and it's just off to the left of the pics. Also there is a huge log just behind where I'm standing for taking the pics, will be convenient to cash to from the pier. I'm gonna try real hard not to work on the pier any more until the pond is full. I'm dying for a good hard rain again to see how much additional runoff is dumped from the dirt work.

Rockytopper, we need pics! Sounds like you have found a great solution.

The 3 sonotubes are actually only 1 foot or so in the ground, but the 6x6s go deeper. I used two 12" 4' long sonotubes, cut in two with a wood saw. 3 and a half 80 lb bags of sackrete is about perfect for one 12", 4' sonotube if you have a 6x6 in it. If you use 4 bags it will overflow. Ice and frost heaving are not problems here so I didn't mind going with shorter tubes. It might look like the tubes are in farther because of mounded up dirt. I dug the holes with a handheld posthole digger, and got them just loose enough where the sonotubes could go in without deforming. Then I put gravel in the bottom of the holes and leveled the sonotubes. Then lifted the 6x6s in and poured 1 bag of sackrete in each hole. That was enough to stabilize the poles to be able to do final measurements/moving and get everything level. After the 6x6s were moved into place and leveled I put water in and mixed up the sackrete in the tubes. Then a final measuring and leveling and then the rest of the water and sackrete. After the sackrete in the tops of the tubes looked like they were almost dry I filled up the tops of the tubes with water again. RobA, I would be very interested in seeing pics of your pier.

Everything feels real solid and I think it will be a good base. The pier design is already in my mind and I just need the pond to get full of water before finishing. It will be pretty hard to wait, I might be tempted to eyeball the deck level before the pond is full

Grettski, in my county, they have a program where the s&w cons folks will loan ya a 3 pt post hole dogger. It's supposed ta be fer use fer tree planting, but that rule is regularly bent. Might check it out, and buy some playoff ticks with $'s saved. Bob-O Hull

Golden Jet...
t'aint got no tractor...pappy says mama and sis ken't hol' on and hep. dem fokes at serl and water...figger they gimme a tractor too?