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That time a post hole collapsed on me in wet clay
It happened last Tuesday on a job in Springfield. I was setting a 4x4 for a cedar fence and the hole just gave way, burying the post up to the collar. Everyone says to just dig it out and start over, but I packed the hole with quick-set concrete right then and there. It set solid overnight and saved the whole day's schedule. Has anyone else had luck with a fast fix like that in bad soil?
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stellablack1mo ago
Man, wet clay is the worst. I had a similar situation a few years back where I was putting up a mailbox post and the whole thing just started sinking like the ground was eating it. Ended up just dumping a whole bag of gravel in the bottom and packing it down real good before the concrete. It worked but I was sweating bullets waiting for it to dry.
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matthew_dixon1mo ago
Honestly though, the real issue with wet clay is it keeps moving after you pour the concrete. Gravel helps but you gotta make sure your hole is wider at the bottom than the top, like a little bell shape, so the concrete locks in and can't just slide down. That trick saved my fence posts a couple times when the ground was totally saturated.
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