Gunns Contractors Ltd

[DaveDCB]

You dig the hole as spec’d by the customer, then go home. Simple.

 

[Grahams]

You dig the hole as spec’d by the customer, then go home. Simple.

If I can make life easier/cheaper for me and still get the same result for the customer I try to do it.

 

[JD450A]

Two sides to it.

You will likely find there is a spec from a sporting body going back decades that factors a square hole that has never been improved upon. Auger would be cleaner, quicker and simpler but the aggro changing the spec is not worth it.

I personally would auger the centre and graft down the sides..... Just my penneth.

 

[Smiffy]

Often I find it's because someone has letters after their name and specifies a square meterage of concrete. Yet even with said letters after their name, they can't use pi.

I do actually think it is more complicated than that. I may be wrong but I think it is as much to do with surface area as much as the weight of concrete
You have 3 surface areas to consider as well.
The first being the horizontal area pushing down flat at the bottom.
The second being the vertical surface area as the friction acting on the sides of a foundation are just as important to supporting a structure as it's footprint
And the third area is the vertical area of a single face. Of top half and bottom half of opposing faces that are acting to stop the foundation twisting in the ground.

You then have the weight of the concrete itself as a factor.

The third one would be the same area regardless of being round or square but I don't know if the maths would change being a curved face as opposed to flat one.

But the other 2 would possibly not be as efficient in a round hole, possibly using more concrete do achieve the required surface area.

Also engineers wouldn't consider the time taken to dig a square hole as an inefficiency as they probably wouldn't know the difficulty of digging it square so will just look at the most economical use of concrete

 

[DaveDCB]

Augers are brilliant tools but you need to be 100% there are no services anywhere! Deciding to whip the auger out when someone has specified a square hole(and not given any other reason why) then hitting a unmarked fibre optic cable will undoubtedly send you in a world of pain! After hitting a big gas main with one (site was deemed disconnected from the mains!) I tend to stay away from them!

 

[V8Druid]

 

[hiluxman]

From what I remember when I did some many moons ago the square hole is because the sockets that go in the ground have a square plate on the bottom of them

 

[6feetdown]

Two sides to it.

You will likely find there is a spec from a sporting body going back decades that factors a square hole that has never been improved upon. Auger would be cleaner, quicker and simpler but the aggro changing the spec is not worth it.

I personally would auger the centre and graft down the sides..... Just my penneth.

Definitely 4 sides to it

 

[Giles]

I'm not criticising either but tbh the only load a rugby post or flagpole needs to resist is falling over unlike for example a column for a building which may also need to factor in wind lifting it under a roof. You'd think even a 300mm auger hole but deep would be easier and better.

ive done our rugby club ones with our 300mm auger

 

[Davedb]

Made this years ago for doing post holes digs a perfectly square hole

 

[V8Druid]

Made this years ago for doing post holes digs a perfectly square hole View attachment 29190View attachment 29189

I've seen that before somewhere CEF perhaps ... good tool

 

[Russell]

I've been wanting to make something like that!
Have you got any more pics?

 

[Davedb]

Not that I can find atm I’ll take some next time I’m near it

 

[Gunners]

I have no idea why they want a square hole, I don't ask, I just dig. Its likely to come from some sports England spec somewhere. And yes I dig them with the machine. Why would I take an auger along as well and then get the shovel out to square it up? Come on Rory!

The socket I have to install is only 600mm long so not the biggest thing and they want it just below the grass so the mower will pass over it. Its a two day affair where the first day you set out, dig and put the sockets in place with some post mix to hold them in the right place. The 2nd day you pour concrete, topsoil and reinstate the grass. A home by 12 kind of affair. Cant complain. Ill take more pictures next time of the process - I didn't realise of all the work I do, this would be the most interesting!

 

[Storrsy]

I appreciate that, but I was more interested if there was a technical reason square was better? The guy I know owns no plant of his own, but if it works out for him he will have a lot of flagpoles to erect so we were discussing the easiest way of doing it, then this comes up in a thread, so picking the forums brains, not criticising Ollie.

Would the square hole be less likely to move in the ground/ large flat surface against the ground rather than a rounded one. To get the same side ways force the round hole would have to be substantially bigger?

Thinking wind rock etc. I mean a round post tamped around in the ground is much easier to rock then a square one

 

[Storrsy]

I have no idea why they want a square hole, I don't ask, I just dig. Its likely to come from some sports England spec somewhere. And yes I dig them with the machine. Why would I take an auger along as well and then get the shovel out to square it up? Come on Rory!

The socket I have to install is only 600mm long so not the biggest thing and they want it just below the grass so the mower will pass over it. Its a two day affair where the first day you set out, dig and put the sockets in place with some post mix to hold them in the right place. The 2nd day you pour concrete, topsoil and reinstate the grass. A home by 12 kind of affair. Cant complain. Ill take more pictures next time of the process - I didn't realise of all the work I do, this would be the most interesting!

I was impressed with your square hole but only because I thought you had done it with the non engcon equipped digger

 

[Storrsy]

View attachment 29188

View attachment 29187

Augers are a frickin nightmare it has to be said- I've lost count of the gas line/bT lines and water pipes I've gone through with mine- all in areas where you'd never suspect it to be!

 

[BillybobLockwood]

@Gunners Thinking that 8 Ton JCB and dumper you've had would look quite smart with Gunns Contractors on the side of them mate. Fit in Quite Nicely with your 8026 and dumper.

 

[Gunners]

@Gunners Thinking that 8 Ton JCB and dumper you've had would look quite smart with Gunns Contractors on the side of them mate. Fit in Quite Nicely with your 8026 and dumper.

No doubt mate, and it was nice pretending I was a big time contractor for a few weeks while I had them. If the bigger work paid as well as the smaller stuff then I would run a similar setup.

 

[doobin]

No doubt mate, and it was nice pretending I was a big time contractor for a few weeks while I had them. If the bigger work paid as well as the smaller stuff then I would run a similar setup.

Small is beautiful mate.