Postloc - Concrete Alternative for Target Foundations

[ThrowBot]

The local club is installing 18 new permanent baskets. For the target sleeve foundations they are using a different product instead of concrete; it's called Postloc.

It's a 2-part chemical mixture that you mix on site. After you pour it, the Postloc expands into a foam to efficiently fill up the excavation and it adheres to any solid surfaces it reaches (e.g. rocks, the sleeve).

Anyone have experience using this? Or similar products?

We have no vehicle access and the basket locations are in steep and rocky terrain. This Postloc stuff is going to be MUCH easier to carry in, compared with bags of concrete and gallons of water.

Looking online, it'll be $20-25 per sleeve. So a little bit more expensive than Quikrete, but not terribly. Certainly not a major expense considering the baskets themselves cost an order of magnitude higher.

(I apologize if there's already a thread about this, I tried some basic prerube-ing.)

 

[ray1970]

While I am not familiar with the product, I do believe it is becoming more common for fence installations.

I also believe there is a thread here with some information about the product but I believe it was just some posts in a larger thread about basket installation so not sure how easy it would be to search for.

 

[txmxer]

First I've seen of it, but definitely looks like it will do the job and a lot less effort than concrete.

 

[Monocacy]

The local club is installing 18 new permanent baskets. For the target sleeve foundations they are using a different product instead of concrete; it's called Postloc.

Congratulations and thanks for being the crash test dummy!

Sounds intriguing, though. Bags of Sakrete get really heavy after a while.

 

[ru4por]

There are really a couple questions.

1. How secure are they against theft? Sounds like this might not be a concern, in your case.

2. How secure are they to prevent maintenance and upkeep. A different question than the first, but obviously just as vital.

Let us know how it turns out.

 

[ThrowBot]

There are really a couple questions.

1. How secure are they against theft? Sounds like this might not be a concern, in your case.

2. How secure are they to prevent maintenance and upkeep. A different question than the first, but obviously just as vital.

Let us know how it turns out.

I'm not too worried about #1. The terrain is sufficiently bad to prevent serious risk of theft. Vandalism is a thing (kids throw rocks off cliffs and dent the top bands) but that is true just the same for concrete bases.

My main concern is the expanding foam aspect. Can we get the pins to hold upright while the foam expands? Will it expand too much and block the padlock access? Will the foam puff up around the sleeve and hold a puddle of water, creating corrosion issues?

 

[txmxer]

I'm not too worried about #1. The terrain is sufficiently bad to prevent serious risk of theft. Vandalism is a thing (kids throw rocks off cliffs and dent the top bands) but that is true just the same for concrete bases.

My main concern is the expanding foam aspect. Can we get the pins to hold upright while the foam expands? Will it expand too much and block the padlock access? Will the foam puff up around the sleeve and hold a puddle of water, creating corrosion issues?

There are videos on YouTube you can check out to help answer your questions

 

[ThrowBot]

There are videos on YouTube you can check out to help answer your questions

Good idea, thanks for the tip :thmbup:

 

[InnocentCrook]

I saw them use the stuff on one of the This Old House shows. Looked solid.

Let us know how it goes. I'm pretty curious since it could come in handy out here on my property too.

 

[chevis]

wooooo orange course! now i'm gunna havta come back to billings to play diamond x again.

i hope this works out. 1 of my pet peeves is leaning baskets.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Good idea, thanks for the tip :thmbup:

My guess is you've already found this video but if not, you might find this video helpful.

This guy does fencing for a living. He compares Post Loc, Sika, and concrete. Seems to like the Post Loc better than the Sika product.

https://youtu.be/a5KvZ_c69hU



Here's the previous video he did, testing only the Sika brand, where it expanded nicely, but contracted after it set up, so the posts weren't as stable as you'd like.

https://youtu.be/RKePiUNJLhk