# concrete work



## farlsincharge (Dec 31, 2010)

4' tubular concrete form, conduit, J bolts set in your bolt pattern.
I've always poured them in the yard and transported to site.


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## Sparky J (May 17, 2011)

Sonotube is your friend. Depending on size you can also get premade rebar to slide in. I am sorry I do not know where I have never used it. The pole light should have a detail on it, just make sure it is in line with your climate and wind characteristics there.


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

Make sure you use some type of jig to hold your bolts in the correct pattern of the base.

http://bolt-star.com/?page_id=2


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## karl_r (Nov 5, 2012)

backstay said:


> Make sure you use some type of jig to hold your bolts in the correct pattern of the base.
> 
> http://bolt-star.com/?page_id=2


Would be nice to have it but I don't. 
forgot to mention the pole is for heater plugs.


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## karl_r (Nov 5, 2012)

Sparky J said:


> Sonotube is your friend. Depending on size you can also get premade rebar to slide in. I am sorry I do not know where I have never used it. The pole light should have a detail on it, just make sure it is in line with your climate and wind characteristics there.


so for a simple parking lot pole I need rebar also? Base is for a heater plug.


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## karl_r (Nov 5, 2012)

farlsincharge said:


> 4' tubular concrete form, conduit, J bolts set in your bolt pattern.
> I've always poured them in the yard and transported to site.


what conduit do you use? I use pvc because of the price.


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## farlsincharge (Dec 31, 2010)

karl_r said:


> what conduit do you use? I use pvc because of the price.


Poly pipe, it is just a sleeve.


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## CTshockhazard (Aug 28, 2009)

I'd look into precast, best way to go.


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## tates1882 (Sep 3, 2010)

We use sauna tube with 3 stakes and 3- 2x4's in a triangle form about 12" up from grade. If the tube is 2.5' or taller above grade we add kicker boards coming from top of tube to triangle. We also tie our own cages and suspend them from the top of the tube also have a bonding jumper tied to the cage, for the bolts 3/4 plywood drilled out to spec and usually between 2.5-3.5" of bolt above the bottom nut. Finish the edges, brush the top, come back the next morning strip the tube and rub them out with non shrink grout and bonding agent. Wham bam your done.


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

tates1882 said:


> We use sauna tube ....


sauna tube, huh ? nice.


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## tates1882 (Sep 3, 2010)

wildleg said:


> sauna tube, huh ? nice.


spell check!

on a side note i didn't realize that this was grammartalk.com!:jester:


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## flyboy (Jun 13, 2011)

*Don't feel bad, your not alone. :laughing:
*
*What is a sauna tube foundation for a modular home.? *

I need info/schematics for sauna tube foundation used to set up modular homes. Is a pad built around the footing tube at ground level. Does the modular home sit directly on the sauna tub 


Best Answer
 <img id="bai" class="photo" height="48" width="48"> 


 Scott C answered 8 years ago
 a sauna tube is nothing more than a cardboard cylinder about a foot and a half in diameter and 3 to 4 foot deep, poured with concrete to use as a base. These tubes will be set in the ground and filled along the edges of where the trail will be placed. 
* * * * * 

*Other Answers (6)*

Relevance 


  <img id="a-1-0" class="photo" height="48" width="48">  
Northy answered 8 years ago 
actually, a sono tube can come in any variety of sizes from 6 inch to 36 inch....but if there are other options other than the sono tube foundation I'd go with before I'd consider doing that. The reason I discourage them are for a few reasons-When you install sono tubes you do so by typically drilling a hole with an earth auger, and most times the spoil(loose dirt) isn't totally removed...nor is it made sure that the bottom of the hole the tube is placed in is properly compacted. This gives the tube a chance to settle as the loose dirt settles, thus making your home unlevel in these spots. Another reason is because they have a tendency in colder climates to go up and down with the frost...but not all at the same time. For a modular home you'll usually have 4 rows of tubes, one row for each beam under the house. And in colder climates where the ground is subject to freezing, the outside tubes are subjected to more frost than the inner tubes, because they are directly under the house and get some heat loss from the building, keeping the soil thawed-giving the outside tubes a greater opportunity to be shifted by frost. In the midwest states, most modular homes are typically placed on a 4-6 inch concrete slab, with thickened footings under the areas where the beams run, and then blocking is placed there to hold the house up....and this seems like the better idea to me, because the slab effectively seals ground moisture from getting under your house, keeps furry creatures from burrowing their way under your house, and it also makes for a nice storage area for those christmas ornaments and decorations for the 11 months out of the year that you don't need them. 
*Source(s):*

been in the concrete business for 15 years
 1
0
 Comment
 
  <img id="a-1-2" class="photo" height="48" width="48">  
Tom-SJ answered 8 years ago 
I think you mean Sono tube. Sono tubes are a brand name for a yellow-colored heavy-duty cardboard tube that your install vertically (cut whatever height you need), place any reinforcing steel bars inside (rebar), brace the Sono tube, pour the concrete and finally place the hold-down bracket in the top of the wet concrete. When dry, cut and remove the Sono tube. 

I think you would need to put an underground footing where you place each Sono tube. 

Without knowing your building codes for earthquake, hurricane or tornado, or what climate you live in (depth of footing depends on how deep the ground freezes each winter) , it's tough to give you schematics or plans. 

Consult with your local building department - maybe they have an info packet. Or a licensed general building contractor can draw up specs and a design for you at a modest cost. 

I would guess Sono tube has a website. 

Good luck.


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## Helmut (May 7, 2014)

48" tube? What size poles you putting up?

That's a big column for a standard plot pole.


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## wcord (Jan 23, 2011)

Helmut said:


> 48" tube? What size poles you putting up?
> 
> That's a big column for a standard plot pole.


bigger is better


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## wcord (Jan 23, 2011)

karl_r said:


> I'm suppose to instal a parking lot pole and was wondering how you make your base. Is there any trick? Never had to build one and this would be my first one. Thanks



5 foot piece of 2" rigid, sink into a 4 foot deep by 1 foot wide concrete filled hole. Put a T&B CIFSF box on top. Done


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## Helmut (May 7, 2014)

wcord said:


> bigger is better



That's a 24" column, not 48".


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## tates1882 (Sep 3, 2010)

Helmut said:


> That's a 24" column, not 48".


i poured a 48" x 10' before for a traffic signal.


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## MHElectric (Oct 14, 2011)

backstay said:


> Make sure you use some type of jig to hold your bolts in the correct pattern of the base.
> 
> http://bolt-star.com/?page_id=2


:thumbsup: This ^, and dont forget to pop one additional pipe out just in case at your last pole!


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## JRaef (Mar 23, 2009)

+1 more on Sonotube (it's a brand name by the way, but has become kind of like Kleenex).










Before that stuff existed, we would use round tin air ducts. The crease would show, but if you were conscientious you would knock it down with a grinder before the concrete fully cured.


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## sparky970 (Mar 19, 2008)

wildleg said:


> sauna tube, huh ? nice.


 
Sounds humid


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## shwadaddy76 (Apr 28, 2013)

Find out if the spec requires a ground rod. If so, drive it and either clamp/weld the wire with several feet of slack before you pour so you don't end up running #4 bare up the side of your nice new base . . .


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