On Saturday, 15 August 2020 at 18:07:19 UTC+1, David wrote:
Hi Folks

Had some garden steps built a couple of years ago and we now have a steel handrail to install.

The bloke who built the steps put two pieces of plastic drainpipe in the concrete to allow the handrail to be installed later.

Questions
Will a 3:1 sharp sand/cement mix be ok to fill in around the steel uprights?

If I mix this quite runny (but not ridiculously so) to flow into the spaces around the uprights, will I get any shrinkage when it goes off?

I'm going to leave the plastic drainpipe where it is. I had thought about getting it out with a hot air gun, but would prefer not to if no need. Am I wrong?

All suggestions and answers welcomed!

Ta

David

If you're on the internet you're wrong, gotta accept that. Only issue with what you propose is the steel rusting. Coat it well or galv it. Wet mixes don't shrink, but the wetter the weaker. Normally it's no problem to tamp down a traditional mortar mix.


NT