DRIVING CAPS FOR CONCRETE POSTS
The prestressed concrete fence post is designed for tough conditions and are driveable with a standard post driver.
Percussion drivers, pneumatic drivers and standard thumper are all able to be used to drive the concrete fence post.
Australian Concrete Posts recommend that a thick rubber material be used to cushion the direct impact on top of the post when driving them in. Australian Concrete Posts have developed a driving cap to be placed on top of the post. Before ramming in hard ground we recommend a pilot hole.*
The Driving Cap holds a layer of 20mm rubber in place. The layer of rubber padding inside minimises impact on post.
*Refer to our Resources page on “How to Drive Posts in the Ground” and ACP Product Handling Guides for recommended methods for driving Australian Concrete Fence Posts.
CHOOSE THE DRIVING CAP FOR YOUR JOB
- DC01 – Fence Post Driving Cap
- DC02 – Straining Post Driving Cap
- Driving Cap for Elgra or Munro Driver
CODE:
CODE: DC01
DESCRIPTION: Small Driving Cap for Fence Posts (130mm and 110mm wide)
SPECIFICATIONS: XX kg XXmm x XXmm
DC02 – Large Driving Cap for Strainer Posts (170mm wide)
WEIGHT XXkg
| CODE | DC01 – 3.5kg & DC02 – X.X kg |
|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS | xxxx |
| WEIGHT | DC01 – 3.5kg & DC02 – X.X kg |
Driving Concrete Posts with Standard Post Driver
Gallery
Driving Concrete Posts with Percussion Drivers
Every percussion driver is a different type of post guide, essentially will need to customise your post guide to hold a thick piece of rubber or polyurethane between the head of the post and your driver to minimise the direct impact on top of the post. Pictured below are some options Elgra or Munro Driver that some customers have customised for their drivers.
INSTALLING CONCRETE POSTS
Use this document as a guide as to how to handle ACP concrete fence posts when building a fence.
Recommended method to hit in a concrete fence post
1. Drill a pilot hole about 80 to 100 mm to the depth you require the post to be placed into the ground
2. Ensure the pilot hole is vertical.
3. In drought conditions wet the post or the ground with about a litre of water. (Old fencers trick to make the concrete post slide into the ground easier).
4. Place the driving cap with the appropriate rubber over the post to prevent the metal driver hitting the post.
5. Gently tap the post into the ground using small strokes of the driving hammer.
The table below shows the recommended height the driver hammer should be lifted to depending on the hammer head weight.
| HEIGHT HAMMER HEAD LIFTED TO | |||||
| 300mm or 1ft | 600mm or 2ft | 900mm or 3ft | 1200mm or 4ft | ||
| WEIGHT OF HAMMER HEAD | 180kg or 400ld | 529kg | 1.1 ton | *1.6 ton | 2.1 ton |
| 272kg or 600lb | 800kg | *1.6 ton | 2.4 ton | 3.2 ton | |
| 362kg or 800lb | *1.1 ton | 2.1 ton | 3.2 ton | 4.2 ton | |
| 450kg or 990lb | *1.3 ton | 2.6 ton | 3.9 ton | 5.3 ton | |
| *ACP recommended heights and weight ratio and settings | |||||
In some circumstances you are able to hit the posts directly into the ground without using a pilot hole. This will depend on numerous factors like soil condition, how wet the soil is, if there are rocks, your experience at driving the concrete posts into the ground and the way you use your driving hammer. Therefore, we recommend you use a pilot hole which is drilled vertically to the depth you require the concrete posts put into the ground.
What about in rocky country?
If you’re in rocky country, then by using a pilot hole you can judge the depth the post can go into the ground by the depth of the pilot hole drilled.
Remember concrete is not like timber where you just hit the post into the ground and cut the top off and drill the holes.
You have to think backwards and cut the bottom of the post off, to the required length before hitting into the ground. Therefore, measure how deep the pre drilled hole is and cut the bottom of the post off.
Cutting the post to the desired length is easily done using a concrete cutting blade on a grinder.
Safety and Risk Assessment
Due to the potential of the concrete posts shattering when being installed or being handled we
recommend you do a thorough risk assessment before installation begins. Ensure the area you’re working in is clear of obstructions and other people. Ensure workers use the appropriate personal protection equipment. We recommend as a minimum; head protection, eye protection, hand protection, foot protection and long trousers to avoid incidents and injury from any debris during installation. By taking the appropriate personal protection you are able to minimise injury. Ensure other people around you are also aware of the dangers and are also using appropriate PPE.
ACP GUIDE: ALWAYS ENSURE YOU UNDERTAKE A THOROUGH RISK ASSESSMENT AND MITIGATE THOSE RISKS BEFORE HANDLING THE [ACP] CONCRETE FENCE POSTS.