Page 3. Mixing Concrete and Standing Posts
Mixing the concrete
In a wheelbarrow or concrete mixer, make a mix consisting of 5 parts gravel and sand mix, to 1 part cement.
Pour in clean water and mix to a uniform consistency with a spade or shovel. The mix should be stiff enough to hold up the posts without you needing to use bracing props, yet wet enough for you to work around the posts.
Standing up the posts
This will take two people: one to hold the post and one to shovel the concrete into the hole.
First shovel some concrete into the hole so there is a 75mm concrete base under the bottom end of the post. Place a post into the hole so it sits against the end of the template board (fig 3) and ensure post is plumb (or vertical) by holding a spirit level against two adjacent sides of the post.
Fill the hole with concrete and check again that the posts are plumb. Because of the depth of the hole and the stiffness of the concrete, the post will stay up by itself. Of course you will need a calm day!
Repeat this procedure until all posts are in concrete, in place, and standing plumb/vertical.
Check again an hour later.
Well, that's all you can do today so you might as well go inside to watch some sport on the TV!
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