How Deep Can Ya Dig?

[DoG]

How deep can you dig a hole for a pole? No, this is not a joke I want to build a structure on the playa with 6x6's and would like to place them at least 4 feet deep. Possible?
Muchas Gracias a Todos

DoG

[Skyhawk]

From the "protecting the environment" page
http://www.burningman.com/preparation/e ... nment.html

Digging Holes

Do not excavate holes in the playa. Small postholes (6 inches or less in diameter & less than 2 feet deep) used for structural support are the sole exception. When digging such a hole it is best to use an auger or a posthole digger, NOT a shovel. Bag the dirt you are removing so that it does not blow away in the wind. Refill the hole by carefully tamping the soil back into place. Repeat this process every few inches while dampening the soil. An inverted sledgehammer works well for this. Experience has shown that larger holes, sometimes used to sound-insulate generators or for pools, easily erode within a year's time, even when carefully backfilled. They leave a visible mark and create a serious safety hazard.

[Badger]

Take the above quote seriously.

NOTHING deeper than 2 feet deep.

[Skyhawk]

and go with 1 foot if you can get away with it.. etc, etc.. or get more creative and find a way to stabilize a structure without a huge piece of wood in the ground.. how about a grid of rebar candycanes holding a wide flat wooden "foot" for that column.. the possibilities are out there..

its not a limitation, its an encouragment to creativity..

[Bob]

Digging posts in two feet can help pin the bottom against sideways movement, but you could also drive a few 3/4" dia steel stakes (concrete form stakes) around the base of the posts, attach with duplex nails or deck screws, and wrap with two-strand fence wire. Or T-stakes (steel fence posts), angle iron, etc. Or weld up a steel base plate, and fix it to the ground with stakes or car axle shafts. Brace or guy off at the upper part of the posts, whether they're dug in or not.

[AddamsonFlint]

The general rules for the public have already been cited in this very old post. But just to expand the knowledge base, I thought I would note there are additional options.

Naturally, if one is wondering about digging, it's often because you want or have the need to secure a structure. If someone is wanting to know "how" deep you can dig, you likely have the concern of securing a significantly large structure.

If that's the case, BM can help you here.

But...to be absolutely clear, if you want to even begin to entertain this, you better be ready to provide some serious legit engineering data. If you are not an engineer, you'll need to enlist one. The requirements are thorough:

* Provide architectural or construction drawings

* State in a very clear format: the materials, the sizes of all structural elements, the quantity of the structural elements

* Provide the uplift and bearing calculations. In particular, the number and capacity of your anchors and bearing plates. Please provide detailed information on how the anchor(s) will be connected to the structure.

* If rigging will be used to anchor the structure, please provide the forces experienced by the wires as well as how and where the wires will connect to the structure.

* Provide the loads applied to the structure. In particular, provide information and the numbers used for wind and gravity calculation (including structure self-weight and people loads). If dynamic loads are used, provide the appropriate information.

* Provide the installation AND de-installation plan



And if you can provide all of that:

"Burning Man can install/remove 4ft long screw-in type anchors with an approximate vertical load limit of 3500 lbs."

[torrey.smith]