Well I was too hasty in my desire to set a beam in the CB 66 bracket that I set into my poured piers on Saturday morning. Even though I mixed in some fast set concrete into the mix, it was just wet and cold at the coast and the concrete was too green. The bracket tore out when I dropped the wet 6x12 beam on the top of the bracket.
So now I am faced with "what next"? I do have a smooth base below where the bracket sat to work off of.
Can I epoxy a retrofit bracket into the pier? (it needs to be for a 6 x 6 post/beam)
Can I epoxy a piece of #4 bar into the middle of the pier and drill a hole into the squat post that need to fill the space where the bracket once stood?
or
should I start over and dig a new hole and set a new pier and be more patient?
Other than that goof, all other parts went well.
Thanks,
mt
While I am at it, why oh why is there a discrepancy between PT lumber and the simpson bracket size? It seems I am always shaving some off to the wood into the bracket?
Is the PT wood 2x material or 6x material? ^x is more often than not rough, not S4S. ???
I assume you broke off 8" below grade?
(http://www.strongtie.com/graphics/products/large/051b-2008.gif)
If so how about drill the footing in 2 or 4 places - drill 5/8 holes outside the bracket area - epoxy 2 or 4 rebars in around where the bracket sets then re-pour the top and put it back in?
1/2 inch bar uses 5/8 epoxy holes
...or if not too deep - just re-pour.
I can easily just drill holes as you suggest and set some bars in vertically, outside of the CB66. I can repour. It was a clean break. Should I use any concrete cement or reinforcing additive to the top mix?
You may want to put hooks on top to go inside the bracket and something like Quickcrete concrete bonder -- looks like Elmers glue, would help the new bond to the old.
Mike I am not sure how much your new pour will be as far as thickness but I will share a tried and true for mating old to new concrete. I had poured 12" wingwalls on my bridge and I listened to everyone else regarding the heigth but myself. Well in 95 we had high water and it completely covered the walls. It wouldn't have if I had made them of my original design. To make a long story short. I was faced with how to increase the heigth with a cold joint. My solution was to drill 1-1/4 holes at a angle into my old pour and then drill an opposing angle to which the rebar would cross each other. I did 20 sets like that. When I poured the additional 4' there is no way for it to move or seperate as it would be pulling against each other. used 2' rebar and crossed at mid length so that I had 1' in both directions.
I realize this is larger than you are working with but the same principle could be applied with a #4 or#5 bar. I had considered the epoxy on mine but at $5 a stick(mine epoxy) and 40 holes it was too much. Mine was a lot cheaper.
I have the bonding stuff. for the hooks, do you mean epoxy in some rebar in an L shape so that it lags in to the old concrete pier and over the bottom of the CB 66 bracket? Then I would pour over that and flush with the bottom of the bracket?
Yes - that is what I was thinking -- epoxy - maybe 8 inches or so into the footing then rotate in over the bottom of the bracket so the concrete is in a bit of compression if the wind tries uplift on the roof, you hit the post etc. a bit of a mechanical connection-- better than tension on the concrete if the bars went straight up.
Just ideas of what I think might work. :)
Dig it out and replace it , everything starts there , not a good place or compromise foundations / piers / footings .
Temp the beam up and build away , but dig out that pier and re-pour it , just let the bracket hang into the new mud.
Your out one bracket and $20.00 in redi mix. You'll spend that in time and never be happy with doing so. IF you "farmer" it.
You've gained one lesson , don't get in a big rush , concrete dries in it's own time.
Mike I guess you were asking me. No I was meaning to drill two holes diam of the rebar but say on a 45deg angle so that when the rebar is inserted into the old pour that it would cross each other above the old pour and stick out into the cavity of the new pour area. Reform and pour new cap. If you originally set the bracket into the concrete then repeat that process but don't get in a hurry and allow sufficent time for the concrete to cure.
I would probably put two pairs of these say one on either side of the bracket. This should ensure that the two (individual pours) do not seperate and should not shift.
Without seeing what you have I am not sure this would even work given the demensions of your pier. But need to you could lessen the degree to stay within the old concrete but still get that opposing factor.
Thanks for all your responses. I know I have options. I will likely also ask my structural engineer friend. As errors go, this was not a biggie. If I have to repour, it is not a big deal. I will be more patient next time....
mt