Supplier / Manufacturer of Steel Pier in NZ?

[HenryNZ]

I have been using a wooden pier which I concreted in the ground for a while. It requires frequent realignment as it does shift after a while. For various reason I do not wish to have a concrete pier, so I am exploring the option of a concrete foundation and a metal pier bolted on top. I am aware of some commercial metal piers in U.K., US and may be in Aus, but they would be cost prohibitive to import. I wonder if there is any commercial option in NZ? I did draw up some design myself, and have received a few quotes for making one, but I am not sure if my design is any good to commit that kind of money for something that may not work.

Does anyone know of someone preferably in Auckland who has experience making metal telescope piers?

Also does anyone know how big a foundation is needed for the soil type in Auckland?

And where I can source all the necessary bits for the foundation (Presumably Bunnings for the concrete - but what about the rebars and the formers?)

[ZeroID (Brent)]

Which soil type in Auckland ? It varies dramatically with volcanic areas in the Central city area and clay on the North Shore..
The general rule seems to be about a cu meter underground of Concrete and reinforcing steel and a pier should be about 200-250mm diameter. Or a steel pier with secured plate to the concrete.
Any big hardware place has all the materials. Bunnings, Mitre10, Placemakers. It will be all out in the timber yard area.

I'm on the side of Mt Albert and 'attached' to the lava bed on the southern slopes with a 4 meter square concrete slab about 150mm thick.

[HenryNZ]

Hi Brent,
Your observatory is my inspiration for upgrading my wooden pier. The wooden pier works ok but I want something more permanent. The sky at my place is not ideal so I hesitate to throw a lot of money at an observatory, as I secretly hope that one day we will move to somewhere with better sky. That's the reason I don't want something so permanent as a concrete pier, and I also want to keep the cost to a minimum.

[I.C.D (Ian)]

G'Day Henry,
This is my pier that I made a few years ago also their is site which has a base for just about every thing and if you move to a new relocate this pier base can go to your new location with you and I have been told it is cheaper then concrete


Ian

[ZeroID (Brent)]

Originally Posted by HenryNZ

Hi Brent,
Your observatory is my inspiration for upgrading my wooden pier. The wooden pier works ok but I want something more permanent. The sky at my place is not ideal so I hesitate to throw a lot of money at an observatory, as I secretly hope that one day we will move to somewhere with better sky. That's the reason I don't want something so permanent as a concrete pier, and I also want to keep the cost to a minimum.

Sorry about that Henry ...

My Sky is pretty restricted and bad as well, especially since they turned the lights on at the new Waterview Motorway Cycle\Walkway Bridge. But we persist as we must.

What ground base do you have ? Where are you located ?
Some form of solid base is going to be required regardless.

My 'tin shed' Ob construction probably cost about $700 all up. Cheap Chinese shed, fence paling wood structural strengthening, some handy timber I had round. It's all about scrounging.

The pier is a 10" concrete pipe secured by an M12 threaded rod to an existing concrete slab. I capped it with a cast concrete top for the rat cage studs. The mold was an upturned paint bucket !

Us engineers are dodgy types, but it don't move !