Replies

1. 
   rebarapps | Aug 18, 2014 08:10am | #1

   Rebar in a concrete pier

   No rebar should be embeded into or laid on the ground. There should be a clearance from the bar to the edge of concrete to protect the bar from corrosion. The thought is the moisture from the ground will work up the bar and corrode the vertical bars embeded. Eventually it will travel up and corrode the horizontials it is holding.

   You are one the right track though. Instead of embedding the rebar, have a hook on the bottom end of each vertical. If you are working with 1/2 bar (#4 bar) use a 8" standard ACI hook. Place one vertical each corner of your pier and place the bottom hooks 3" from the pier base on concrete blocks the same strength as the concrete you are pouring in the pier. The blocks will maintain the clearance needed while supporting the vertical dowels and therefore the entire cage created with the required horizontals. Hope that helps. And if the pier is circular, just equally space the vertical dowels around perimeter, say a min of 3.

1. 
   tcleveen | Aug 19, 2014 12:20am | #2

   appreciate the good ideas on holding rebar off the ground. I was searching for other professional validation to dissuade the owner (builder) from taking what he saw as the easy route to simply pound extra rebar into the ground in a square pier hole to support horizontal rebar runs.