Whether carport, patio roof or privacy screen - drive-in sleeves ensure a secure hold in the subsurface and at the same time distance from soil moisture and dirt. With our instructions, you too can set the ground sockets in concrete.

In a nutshell

  • adjust several ground sockets using a common auxiliary construction for greater accuracy
  • the foundations should be at least 30, preferably 40 centimeters wide
  • When pouring concrete, make sure not to change the position of the sleeves

The material

Before you begin your actual work, have everything you need ready so that you can move forward quickly without further interruptions:

  • Ground sockets in the required size and number
  • Dry concrete as a ready mix for mixing with water without additional additives
  • water (bucket or garden hose)

tools and aids

Also, make sure you have all the necessary tools:

  • spade and shovel
  • Possibly pickaxe
  • Bucket or concrete tub for concrete
  • trowel
  • Metal or wooden stick for compaction
  • level
  • Meter stick or measuring tape

In addition to the mandatory tools, you should not forget the tools that make your work easier:

  • Guideline with ground needles
  • straight wooden board or wooden plank in the length of the planned structure
  • wood for substructure
  • hammer and nails
Ground sockets are also suitable for setting up fences.

The instructions - step by step

After everything is prepared, you can set the ground sockets in concrete:

Step 1 - determine the location

First, determine where exactly the ground sockets are to be concreted. Of course, both the dimensions of the planned object and its location on your property are decisive for this.

  • Roughly define the location on the property
  • Fix the position of the ground socket at a starting point, e.g. corner or end point of the object, with a rod, peg or other marker
  • Measure further layers from the fixed point according to planning
  • for carports, canopies, etc. with two-dimensional alignment, check squareness using diagonal dimensions (both diagonals the same length = right-angled)
  • mark all other ground sockets as well

Notice: Think of a cross over the center of the sleeve and stake its ends outside the foundation area. You can use the end points to determine the center point and thus the exact position. Otherwise you will lose the center of the sleeve marked on the ground with the excavation.

Step 2 - The Excavation

Now, by digging out the foundations, lay the foundation for the permanent hold of your ground socket. On the one hand, the loads of the superstructure are transferred to the ground via the foundation concrete, on the other hand, the position is secured against tipping or even lifting, which should not be underestimated for roofs in strong winds, for example.

  • Define a foundation outline around each sleeve position with at least 40 x 40 centimeters or around 40 centimeters in diameter
  • Cut off the sod (if any) with a spade and set aside
  • Cut and dig out the soil vertically
  • Excavation depth at least 60, better 80 centimeters
  • Remove loose soil from foundation holes

Notice: Even with a small ground socket with a low structure, the foundation should not be smaller than 40, but at least 30 centimeters wide. If the size is too small, the concrete around the sleeve will break out and the entire structure will tip over.

Step 3 - measure the sleeves

Now it is important to position each ground socket in the same way so that the later construction works. Since the sleeves do not simply remain in the air until you concrete the foundations, you must use a suitable auxiliary construction.

  • Check the exact center of the ground sockets again
  • Place a wooden board or slat over the foundation hole and support it with boards, wedges or other pieces of wood
  • Align the lower edge of the board with the upper edge of the ground socket
  • Fix the ground socket to the board with nails from below

Notice: Align ground sockets in a row with either a plumb line for true linear alignment. Or, instead of using individual boards, use a long plank to position multiple sleeves. In this way you can align all sleeves together both horizontally and vertically.

When the ground socket is aligned and fixed, you can carefully set it in concrete.

Step 4 - Concrete in the ground sockets

The apparently central step - the setting in concrete - is ultimately the simplest matter of the entire project.

  • Mix concrete according to manufacturer's instructions
  • Fill foundation holes in layers in 20 to 30 cm steps
  • tamp each layer down with a stick or wooden slat to eliminate trapped air
  • Fill in the concrete up to the top edge of the soil
  • Check the position of the ground sockets after concreting and adjust if necessary

Ready. After you have waited the time required for curing according to the concrete manufacturer's instructions, you can continue with the further construction of your project. In warm weather and sun, always keep the surface of the concrete well wet to prevent premature drying before full curing has occurred.

frequently asked Questions

What do you think of sewage pipes as foundation quivers for ground sockets?

Again and again one reads about the use of sewage pipes made of plastic to limit the foundations. Avoid this procedure at all costs. The smooth pipe walls mean that the foundation can simply be pulled out upwards. Real interlocking with the ground, on the other hand, is prevented.

Why should I keep the foundations of the ground sockets wet?

Concrete hardens as the contents of the cement react with water. So it doesn't dry in the chemical sense, although the process is often called that. If there is a lack of moisture, curing will come to a standstill and the desired strength will not be achieved.

Can I insert a ground socket into the still soft foundation?

Theoretically it is possible to create the foundations first and then press the sleeves into the still soft texture of the concrete. However, the right hardening phase has to be reached so that the material again closes tightly around the metal of the sleeve, but the sleeve itself does not sink and change its position. In practice, this can hardly be implemented, so that alignment and fixation are usually followed by concreting.

Category:

Garden design