Setting posts in interior of pole barn

[wsmoak]

When they set the posts for my pole barn, they dug the holes, poured concrete in the bottom and let that dry, then came back and installed the posts with additional concrete around them. I think this was so that the posts would not sink deeper when the weight of the roof was added.

I am now setting posts inside the pole barn for the stall walls. Is it necessary to do the same thing given that they won’t be carrying a load from above? Is ‘regular’ concrete around the base sufficient? I am going to tie them into the joists and the last thing I want is them sinking and pulling on the roof. The posts themselves are very heavy 6x6 by 16’ .

Would you spike the lower part of the posts with large nails to lock into the concrete?

Please reassure me that your interior posts are just set normally like you would do a fence post…

[clanter]

I am not an engineer. I would put gravel in the bottom of the hole to provide a way for any water a way to drain away rather than being held in place by the concrete.

The posts I would have used would have been 4by6 treated. Being rectangular there is no reason they would tend to rotate

[Mango20]

My interior posts are 4x6 and just in a dug hole with concrete poured around them. They do NOT tie into the joists, though. I’ve had them in there for 20 years, and they have not moved or rotated. My underlying soil is very full of small shale rocks, so it may be similar to clanter’s recommendation of a gravel base.

[callyhan]

The exterior posts had a “footing” poured first to spread the point load over a wider area. If you are not supporting any point loads from above (eg. floor joists or roof) with your stall posts then there is no need for a footing. When I did my stall posts I dug down below the frost line (uninsulated barn) to prevent frost heave then placed the post and backfilled with compacted gravel. We tied the top end to the roof trusses to give it some lateral support as well.

[2DogsFarm]

When I added a stall for my mini (neighbors did the actual work) no footing/concrete was used.
My barn is floored with a foot of crusher-run over 9" gravel foundation.
Posts for the stall are treated 4X4s, 8’ long, sunk 2’.
3yrs later no noticeable shifting of posts. One post hit hardpack at a deeper spot & the uneven tops were left that way - they offered to cut them even.

[OTTBs]

My stall posts do not have a footing or concrete either. Nearly 5 years later no shifting. Mine are like 2dogs’ photo but with wire mesh above and a board at the top. My posts are 4x6.

[wsmoak]

Progress! After all that, the contractors did want to pour footings, so those were done a week ago. Unfortunately this was a last minute request they were trying to fit in and they haven’t been able to get back to us. So… we lifted the middle post in place with the tractor yesterday and concreted it in. It is not going anywhere.

210417_8326 by Wendy, on Flickr