I am going to sink 6x6 posts that are 16' long. I intend to put them 4 ' in the ground and then concert them. They must have correct placement within a 1/4 inch. I have a fifty horse tractor and a small bomb pole. Other than that I might have one or two men to help me. Any suggestions about how to stand them up and place them? I have 14 of them to place for a pole barn.

You DON'T want to put concrete around the poles. Auger or dig your 4' holes, mix one 60 lb bag of concrete and pour in bottom of holes as footers. After concrete sets place pole in hole (2 men can do this easily) , nail 2x4's at a right angle to each other about midway up pole (don't nail all the way in) and then make 2x4 spikes to pound in ground at ends 2x4 touch the ground. I adjusted and secured poles this way as I lifted them into the hole. Use a post level and adjust where the right angle 2x4's are holding post in an upright position exactly where you want them. Once skirts are in place and side supports are being installed, you can start using a winch between posts or attached to your tractor to pull within the ¼ you desire.

To secure post you can backfill with soil or pea gravel works nicely NOT concrete. Many have done it this way in the past but it has been found the concrete holds moisture around post, this causes the post to waterlog and turn to mush eventually sheering off or sink.

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Originally Posted by cgregory67

You DON’T want to put concrete around the poles. Auger or dig your 4’ holes, mix one 60 lb bag of concrete and pour in bottom of holes as footers. After concrete sets place pole in hole (2 men can do this easily) , nail 2x4’s at a right angle to each other about midway up pole (don’t nail all the way in) and then make 2x4 spikes to pound in ground at ends 2x4 touch the ground. I adjusted and secured poles this way as I lifted them into the hole. Use a post level and adjust where the right angle 2x4’s are holding post in an upright position exactly where you want them. Once skirts are in place and side supports are being installed, you can start using a winch between posts or attached to your tractor to pull within the ¼ you desire.

To secure post you can backfill with soil or pea gravel works nicely NOT concrete. Many have done it this way in the past but it has been found the concrete holds moisture around post, this causes the post to waterlog and turn to mush eventually sheering off or sink.

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Yeah two men and a 16' 6" x 6", not impossible, but difficult at best.

Can a cement truck make it to the site? I'd be really tempted to use sono tube footings with poured concrete. With a string line and construction level you can get the posts exactly where you want them. Hilti hit or grout good quality post bases into the sonotube (I'd drill them in after the concrete has set for accuracy) and use the construction level again as a final check to make sure the post tops are exactly level with each other

I have built numerous pole barns for years

You really shouldn't encase the posts in concrete for many reasons. First the post will absorb all the moisture out of the concrete. Second the wood will, overtime, take what is called a compression set and cause a crack which will let all the bad things happen to wood that makes it rot quickly. Posts should be held above the ground and above the concrete with brackets or saddles. This allows for air flow that will keep it as dry a possible. If you must bury the posts... for rigidity and strength... fill the hole with stone so it can be compacted and will drain.

Research this and you will see from experience of others what I say is true.

The problem with your suggestion is that I live near the Guld of Mexico and winds can get pretty strong. I do not think placing rocks around the post will provide the hold this building will need.

Oh yeah. Also thi sarea has a lot of gound moisture. Even after a period of no rain one can dig a hole and it fills with water. So it seems the concrete will be dryer than the ground around it. It would also take a long drought to be able to pour a pad in the bottom of the hole.

I am afraid that a concrete footing followed with a concrete casing will create a concrete jug that will hold water in the wood. You are using pressure treated lumber rated for under ground I hope. Most of the PT sold in home centers is not rated for under ground use. We backfill the holes with pee gravel.

As I suggested earlier, if you use pea gravel to backfill the post will be as solid as if you put concrete around it. You will be very surprised!