Necessary materials:
- wire 3-5 mm;
- reinforcement 5-8 mm;
- sand;
- crushed stone fraction 5-10 mm;
- cement;
- plasticizer for concrete.
The process of making columns
To tie the reinforcement for a 2.5 m long post, 3 clamps are used. They are made from wire with a diameter of 3-5 mm. It is cut to size, after which the twigs are bent into U-shaped blanks.
Then a short crossbar made of the same wire is welded to the brackets. All this can be bent in a vice, and in the case of mass production of posts, a bending machine can be designed to quickly prepare clamps. The size of such frames is made 2-3 cm shorter than the cross-section of the desired column. Typically, 80x80 mm posts are used for gardens, so you can make 60x60 mm clamps.
Then take 4 reinforcement rods with a diameter of 5-8 mm. 3 clamps are put on their bundle. It is necessary to place each thread of reinforcement at the corners of the clamps and weld it.If there is no welding, then the frames can be bent from one rod, and then the reinforcement can be tied to them with knitting wire. The clamps are welded or tied along the edges with a slight indentation and in the center.
Next, the concrete is prepared. It consists of: 3 parts crushed stone, 2 parts sand, 1 part cement. Water is added according to the situation, depending on the moisture content of the sand. A plasticizer for concrete is also added to the composition. Its quantity is indicated by the manufacturer. If you add all the components in buckets, then 100-150 grams of plasticizer will be needed. The resulting concrete should form a lump like clay.
Before pouring concrete, you need to lubricate the form with a special compound or a mixture of diesel fuel and oil. The form itself can be purchased plastic or homemade bent and welded from sheet metal. It can also be made from wood. The reinforcement frame is laid into the mold. A small amount of mortar is thrown over the clamps to align the reinforcement with the shape.
At the next stage, the mold is filled with solution.
It is optimal to lay it on a vibrating table, which will make the column denser. If it is not there, then the form needs to be shaken. You can simply pour the solution with a trowel or make a funnel under the mold. The concrete is smoothed with a trowel, and after a couple of minutes the form is turned over onto a polyethylene backing. To smooth out large potholes and microcracks, the post should be treated with a paint brush.
The released form is reused.
After 28 days, the concrete gains maximum strength, and the column can be loaded to the maximum.
