Livestock/general farm shed - removable post designs

[Munkul]

Once again, I come to the font of information/ideas!

We're replacing some old byres on our farm with a single 15 x 13m farm shed.
It will be used primarily for baby and young calves down one side, and slightly older calves down the older side, with a central passage. The baby calf pens will probably be freestanding. The other side will be barriered off down the central passage with a few dividing gates. Probably 3 to 4 sections to make 3.5-4m pens and bays for the front feed barrier.

What we want, is completely removable posts, so in the summer the shed is easily mucked out, washed out and able to be used for general purposes as a wide open shed.

So... I'm thinking cast-in receivers in the floor for 100x100x5 box section posts, something like that. When the stock are turned out, we lift out all the gates and barriers, lift the posts out, and plug the receivers with flush fitting plugs (maybe with a lifting ring or something in to pull them back out when needed)

Can we buy something off the shelf? I'd rather not make receivers and plugs, if we can just buy some precast concrete receivers... trouble is, I'm struggling to find what I want.

@Fraserb? Anyone else?

 

[Gareth J]

Try an IAE stockist. They do the posts and I *think* sockets too.

But they're just a bit of oversized tube/box that loose-ish fits the post. RSJ ones have to be custom made from flat though, unless you're lucky

 

[gaz1]

this should do you

 

[Munkul]

IAE was the name of the company I'd heard mentioned before, thanks!

Might even be as simple as wrapping some posts in plastic and setting em into the concrete, as I saw on farming forum.

 

[gaz1]

id post it and use long hanger gates

 

[bletchmonster]

I saw some iae sockets recently and they appeared to be fabricated from sheet

 

[Munkul]

They need to be completely removable, and not too much overkill for young stock. The shed wants to be completely open and flat so we can park machinery in there in the summer, or store bales, fertilizer etc.

 

[Munkul]

I saw some iae sockets recently and they appeared to be fabricated from sheet

I can't find the IAE sockets on the website

 

[colnerov]

Hi, What about Metposts for the sockets? They come in a choice of sizes. You may have to modify the 'teeth' in them that grip the wooden post but they are already preformed.

Colin

 

[bletchmonster]

I can't find the IAE sockets on the website

I've just phoned the customer and he said they are iae posts and sockets, He thinks they came as kit referred to as a slam post.

 

[Cato]

What about using 100mm below ground drainage pipe cut into lengths and pour the slab around them? When not in use for posts they can be stoppered with the plastic drain pipe blanks.

 

[Fraserb]

IAE was the name of the company I'd heard mentioned before, thanks!

Might even be as simple as wrapping some posts in plastic and setting em into the concrete, as I saw on farming forum.

We've done a few different things over the years, easiest is wrapping the 100mm box posts in plastic and concreting in place, we've had the iae sockets before and to be fair they work ok.

When concreting in the posts I finish the 50mm round the post 10mm lower so when the caps on it sits below the rest of the concrete and avoids getting caught with a bucket.

 

[Bravheart]

What about using 100mm below ground drainage pipe cut into lengths and pour the slab around them? When not in use for posts they can be stoppered with the plastic drain pipe blanks.

Ok but round can turn in the hole.

I would suggest square but up to you.
If you want a completely flat floor then the socket has to be recessed into the concrete enough that any cap on the socket is flush or even slightly lower than ffl.
One of the big problems with socketed posts after a few years is rust. Urine can rust the posts solid in the sockets, I hear a good soaking in waste oil helps.

 

[Bravheart]

Beaten to it by @Fraserb now they have more than just a few Coos!

Link here seems socket with every post

Posts

Award-winning products, unrivalled experience and modern production techniques combine to deliver quality that is built to last.

iae.co.uk

 

[Fraserb]

Beaten to it by @Fraserb now they have more than just a few Coos!

Link here seems socket with every post

Posts

Award-winning products, unrivalled experience and modern production techniques combine to deliver quality that is built to last.

iae.co.uk

Yeah we've 1 or 2 thousand kicking about

 

[dan.taylor.1]

I'd definitely use a socket. Our lambing shed has some which are 2 bits of angle welded together to take 80 box. The main yard has some that are just holes in concrete and they've bust out so many times I can't count it, I ended up digging out and putting a galved sleeve in.

 

[dan.taylor.1]

Also we grease the posts before fitting / lambing and they're usually OK to pull out with the skid steer at mucking out time.

 

[Munkul]

I wish I could see a picture of the IAE socket design.

I want 100mm square posts, not round.

If I can't see anything I like off-the-shelf then I'm tempted to go with setting the posts in plastic. Nothing to rust, and is free... getting them sat in good and level would be my only concern... That and bursting out around.

 

[Gareth J]

From experience, a decent bit of play is essential. They'll get filled with grit and water and even rust. If wrapping in plastic and casting, use something thick, like correx. 110 mm sewer pipe would be a good cheap solution if you can find the corresponding right sized post. Stop it rotating with a big chunk of flat welded one side that fits in a slot in the hole.

Edit; the IAE posts and the like are pretty expensive in the stores here.

 

[addjunkie]

I wish I could see a picture of the IAE socket design.

I want 100mm square posts, not round.

If I can't see anything I like off-the-shelf then I'm tempted to go with setting the posts in plastic. Nothing to rust, and is free... getting them sat in good and level would be my only concern... That and bursting out around.

The ones I saw my son in law used were litteraly about a 1.5 mm wall galv tube with an end, nothing special, think they were 450 long from memory.

I decided against concreting in in the end, but Id planned 100 mm box with the blind end bigger, to be pre concreted in place before the main pour. Just plug then for the pour. Galvanized of course. If your worried about siezing in the hole use round posts in a square socket.

Or cheat and weld the sockets to the rebar