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I admit that my knowledge of installation is limited! That's why I hire others! haha Anyhow, I have to install x5 "u" channel posts into ashfalt-4' deep into ground. Any suggestions of best equipment I should use or rent. We have to do it by hand, but I don't want to be there all day....and I don't want to leave a mess of the ashfalt.
-------------------- Ottawa Custom Signs Stittsville, Ontario Posts: 346 | From: Stittsville, ON | Registered: Dec 1998
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Geeeze. Brenda, an auger would be my weapon of choice, but be careful.... if this is in a parking lot, you never know what is under there. Fill, rip-rap, small rocks, old bricks, not to mention, at 4 ft deep, you may have to have a line locator service come out to make sure there aren't any undergrond pipes, wires, etc. They may put that stuff deeper up there than they do here in the south, I have found phone lines at 2 feet before.
Luckily I didn't hit them and leave thousands without service...But I know who did.
-------------------- Skidmore Sign Co. 3806 1st Avenue North Birmingham AL 35222 205-251-6049
Skidmore Signs - Facebook
"Success always occurs in private, but failure in full view."
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Depends on the asphalt. Some is thick and tough , others not. Also the warmer it is the easier to break thru. If you don't want get a jack hammer what we do for a neat job is to drill a bunch of holes with a masonry bit to make a circle big enough for a post hole digger. Then bust the asphalt out with a pry bar. Dig the hole as usual then install the uchannel, fill the bottom with packed dirt & rocks then top with concrete level to the ashphalt. There are some ways to soften the asphalt. Pour some kerosene or charcoal fluid in a circle and light it.
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I forget about the up north stuff...During the summer and fall, when its about 120 on the tarmac, it's easy to auger through.
I REALLY like the kerosene thoughts...enough of that, and if it soaks in..even if it's diesel, would soften it up. Thanks Bill, gotta remember that one.
-------------------- Skidmore Sign Co. 3806 1st Avenue North Birmingham AL 35222 205-251-6049
Skidmore Signs - Facebook
"Success always occurs in private, but failure in full view."
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Hiya Brenda, As Bill and Sam mentioned, The asphalt normally isn't the problem. What's underneith normally is Just be sure to follow Sam's advice and have the site surveyed for utilities. Normally, I would just use a post driver similar to the ones seen here... http://www.tapconet.com/posts4.html and hammer right through the asphalt. Since you're going 4 feet deep, you shouldn't need cement. If you can't break through the asphalt, a hammer drill will get you started If I run into anything that doesn't appear to move, I'll reposition the post 6" one way or another until I get a clear shot.
Havin' fun,
Checkers
-------------------- a.k.a. Brian Born www.CheckersCustom.com Harrisburg, Pa Work Smart, Play Hard Posts: 3775 | From: Harrisburg, Pa. U.S.A. | Registered: Nov 1998
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Tom, frost level at Brenda's usually goes to 36", so nothing will stay put for long if you don't surpass that. Bren, I don't think the auger will work well until it warms up some - call me.
-------------------- Rodger MacMunn T.R. MacMunn & Sons C.P.207, Sharbot Lake, ON 613-279-1230 trmac@frontenac.net Posts: 475 | From: Sharbot Lake, Ontario | Registered: Nov 2003
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Brenda, last Thursday I put in 16 Employee Parking Only signs in asphalt...
I used the 8'tall 2 3/8" fence corner posts from Home Depot. I like the looks of them better than the U-posts and you can put the nifty little cap on them.
I have an electric jack hammer with a flat spade that's 2 1/2" wide. It makes a nice hole just big enough for the post. I went ahead and jack hammered on down as far as the bit would allow me to go which got partway through the hard packed clay beneath the asphalt.
Then I took my trusty home-made post pounder and drove the posts down 30" into the ground. A few hard taps here and there but most went in like a breeze. Took me about 3 hours to do all 16. I had figured $20 a post to install so I figured I made over $100 an hour on that part of the job which offsets the pain of pounding the posts....
One other thing that makes the job a little easier is a strap-on fence post level. It has a little rubber snubber that attaches it to the post and you can make sure you are keeping it level as you pound it in... It looks like this......
On my job, an auger wouldn't have worked because I would have had to make too big of holes in the asphalt, and I didn't want to have to concrete in my posts, since they are planning on repaving the parking lot in a couple years.
Edited to add: And like Sam said, call your line location people. I called our Alabama One Call and sure enough there were a couple phone lines very close to where the signs were going....
[ April 13, 2007, 09:11 PM: Message edited by: Jon Jantz ]
-------------------- Jon Jantz Snappysign.com jjantz21@gmail.com http://www.allcw.com Posts: 3395 | From: Atmore, AL | Registered: Nov 2005
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4 feet is a deep dang hole, even for a hydraulic tow-behind 9 hp auger like I own. Easier to make the holes larger in circumference and less deep.
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Opt 1 - Anyone with a Bobcat & 8-12" auger with carbide blades can penetrate asphalt or even frozen asphalt very easily. (Contact your local landscaping companies, we've punched 30" holes through asphalt along with 2 feet of frost several times. It's slow, but amazingly, it goes through!) Fill the holes with concrete & plane flush with the asphalt. Looks great.
Opt 2 - Most rental supply companies have diamond bit "hole saw blades" 4-6" in diameter (or bigger) you can use to get through the asphalt, then hand dig the holes with a post hole digger or pound the pipe/u-channel in with a fence post pounder, also available at the same rental store.
If you dig holes for other signs in your business, don't let asphalt stop you! Don't forget to price accordingly as most people do shy away from asphalt installs.
Do it once... or twice & you will see how easy it really is.
Good luck Brenda!
-------------------- Michael R. Bendel Bendel Sign Co,. Inc. Sauk Rapids, MN Posts: 913 | From: Sauk Rapids, MN | Registered: Jul 2005
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The best advice you have here Brenda is to have a locate done. Hydro, Bell, cable and gas companies and a few others have banded together to provide a "One Call" service. They will do residential and small commercial properties at no charge. If it is a bigger commercial or industrial property you will have to locate a private locate company to come and do it for a fee.
I know a fellow who failed to get locates done when he installed a For Lease sign on the property of a commercial office building in Mississaga. He hit a fibre optic cable and put the communications out to about 20 office buildings in the area. They were without phones and data communications for a day. Three years later the police are still looking for him to show up in court. I have heard that the repair bill was $40,000.
-------------------- Chuck Churchill, It's A Good Sign Inc. 3245 Harvester Rd, U-12 Burlington, Ont. Phone: 905-681-8775 Fax: 905-681-8945 Posts: 633 | From: Burlington, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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Thank you so much for all the responses! I did actually contact One1call - for locates on Friday. I just have to call Hydro today as apparently they are not part of the this group in this area....not sure why. I do have a post hole digger cap, that we will be using. I was just concerned about the digging through the ashphalt. I will contact my local renting company today and see what they have for tools to do a nice clean punch through the ashphalt. However, we got majorly dumped on today with snow....holy crap I though winter was over!!! It will have to wait a while anyhow...plus I will have to wait for the locates. Thanks again for all your help!!! Brenda
-------------------- Ottawa Custom Signs Stittsville, Ontario Posts: 346 | From: Stittsville, ON | Registered: Dec 1998
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I hate this kind of install too and usually opt for the flange mount with anchor bolts...however if you really want to go through it draw your circle with chalk and using a hammer drill...drill holes (1/2 dia) about an inch or so apart thru the asphalt...then use a heavy bar (or 8 lb. sledge) and hit directly in the center...normally the "plug" will drop and you can remove it without much trouble.
Same method works for cement tho usuually with a bit more struggle.
-------------------- "Werks fer me...it'll werk fer you"
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