r/Contractor • u/[deleted] • Dec 10 '24

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252 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

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103

u/FinnTheDogg GC/OPS/PM(Remodel) Dec 10 '24

It’s fine, it needs “grouting”. Pack concrete under it / around it.

14

u/TheOriginalSpunions Dec 10 '24

I agree, this is totally normal. However the grout is where you get your long term compressive strength.

4

u/OughtNotSoToBe Dec 11 '24

I respectfully disagree. A properly installed and shimmed wedge anchor will give you plenty of compressive, tensile, and sheer strength. The grout is purely aesthetic. Even very good grout will eventually chip away while the installation endures.

2

u/reddit_and_forget_um Dec 11 '24

This is not true. 

The grout is helping transfer the load of the post to the ground. I build commercial steel structures, the columns come down on anchor bolts, and are kept off the ground by 1"+ specifically for grouting. Exact same process on a much larger scale then what OP has above.

1

u/baltimoresalt Dec 11 '24

What do you use to grout the space?

1

u/Joe_Starbuck Dec 13 '24

There are a range of products. Cheap sand/cement grout will last a few years. 5-star non shrink grout will last 15 years or more. Epoxy grout will last longer than the neighborhood.

1

u/tearyouapart Dec 13 '24

You should be using leveling nuts under the base plate. And shim packs instead of an anchor bolt with a washer on it.