Tube removal on concrete pier, is it necessary?

Astroman (Andrew Wall) · #1 23-10-2010, 07:40 PM

Hi all,

I am going to be making a concrete pier and wondered if it was necessary to remove the tube that the cement would be going in? I will be using a rolled Galvanised metal tube (see pic below) which once it has cement in it would make it difficult to remove. Would it matter to keep the steel tube there?

torana68 (Roger) · #2 23-10-2010, 07:50 PM

cant see why, paint it and it will look nice

astroron (Ron) · #3 23-10-2010, 08:34 PM

If you don't think you will need it again

do as Roger says and just leave it there and paint it

[1ponders] (Paul) · #4 23-10-2010, 08:41 PM

Or keep it buffed nice and shiny. Shame its not chromed

Astroman (Andrew Wall) · #5 23-10-2010, 09:16 PM

Okay thanks guys, seems like it will be okay then...

Yes chromed would be nice! but I will be painting it white, purely for looks.

bojan · #6 25-10-2010, 11:29 AM

Wouldn't the PVC tube be cheaper?

mozzie (Peter) · #7 25-10-2010, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bojan

Wouldn't the PVC tube be cheaper?

good point!!!
gal steel or plastic id leave both.you maybe able to go to a plumbing supply shop and buy the diameter and length of pipe you need not a whole 6 meter length!!

mozzie (Peter) · #8 25-10-2010, 12:03 PM

hi andrew
a few threads below is the mods i did on my pier.i went with a square pier so the power supply and power point could be mounted square or flat against the pier no gaps with a curve one...

just my opionion

pmrid (Peter) · #9 25-10-2010, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Astroman

Okay thanks guys, seems like it will be okay then...

Yes chromed would be nice! but I will be painting it white, purely for looks.

While you're in the planning stages, make sure to put a 50mm PVC tube up the centre to carry data and/or power cables and to provide for entry and exit points through the stainless steel formwork/tube you are using. It makes life a whole heap tidier to be able to route some of the many cables inside the pier.
Peter

Astroman (Andrew Wall) · #10 25-10-2010, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bojan

Wouldn't the PVC tube be cheaper?

Probably would be if I was buying the tube, but I am getting it for free, so I think it's a good option.

But if I were buying, yes a PVC pipe would be a good option, one I didn't think of actually. So if it does go belly up, thanks for the thought.

And thanks for the input guys, The data cables etc will be outside the pier and running underground into the shed through some PVC pipe. I was going to put it inside the pier but thought if there was a problem then I would want easy access to the cables.

I also now have 3 3/4" bolts for the baseplate to go on, these will be welded true to a piece of 25mm solid steel shaft which will have a bend at one end so it will anchor into the cement, slightly overkill, but will do the job nicely...

BTW anyone got an idea how much in $$$'s roughly a 0.55m^3 hole would take to fill with Premix cement? I'll be ringing up soon but wanted an rough guess.. from those that have done it before.

mozzie (Peter) · #11 25-10-2010, 04:49 PM

im in the trade concrete is around $220 m3 here in coffs harbour so youll pay any where from $140 to $200 for half a cube you can only order in multipules of 0.2 so you might have to go to 0.6m3 and spend the extra money and get 25 mpa the stronger the better.

wasyoungonce (Brendan) · #12 26-10-2010, 11:46 AM

Actually thanks to all who have input to this thread.

I'm about to put in a pier and "man astro shed" and have been perusing posts and forum for relevent experience, costs and data etc. So this helps me heaps.

Looking at a 300mm sonotube pier with reo on around a 1m cubic base. At this stage I'll just leave the sonotube on when pier is dry. I cannot see the sense in removing it?

This sonotube cost a packet! Might be best to make my own?

edit:
sonotube costs are around $29 (+GST) per metre in 3 metre lengths. They (tubeworks) will cut and sell in smaller lengths. A 2m length = $36 per m (+GST).

They will deliver but...your wouldn't want to know this cost!

ZeroID (Brent) · #13 27-10-2010, 12:22 PM

I've got a 1.5 meter (approx) length of concrete sewer pipe (unused!!) about 300mm diameter with a flanged end. I keep eyeing that up and down with the idea off rebo-ing into to my big slab and filling it with concrete with a mount flange on top. It's heavy enough and wide enough at the base to be almost stable on it's own. Run a couple of 2"-3" downpipes down the middle for wiring & data etc.
But I'm not serious enough for a big mount yet. But one day, one day .... if I ever get the AstroPhotog bug ..

bojan · #14 27-10-2010, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZeroID

I've got a 1.5 meter (approx) length of concrete sewer pipe (unused!!)..

That would have been ideal (even if used

, then just fill it with concrete, otherwise it's not necessary).

leon · #15 27-10-2010, 04:08 PM

Peter may have suggested putting power and data cables up the middle in a tube of their own, my advise is don't go there, there is every probability that the power cables will interfere with the data cables, and you will have endless data failures.

Two separate tubes OK, but not together in the one tube.

Leon