My original post
) has
vanished from my newsreader, but I wanted to end this on a happy note.

As "v" suggested on April 25 in that thread, I had been able to score
around most of the pole (not all the way though, and I never penetrated
the cement) with the various saws I'd used. So I finally did take a
sledgehammer. Much to my surprise, I knocked the four-foot section of
pole quite a bit with just one hit. The second hit brought it down.

I highly recommend v's "score and smash" method to anyone else trying to
remove a concrete-filled baseketball pole.

On Wed, 11 May 2005 20:59:05 GMT, someone wrote:


I highly recommend v's "score and smash" method to anyone else trying to
remove a concrete-filled baseketball pole.

Why thank you. Glad to hear that it worked. Most of us probably
don't have concrete filled basketball poles (mine isn't), I don't know
what they were thinking. Steel pipe is typically filled with concrete
to increase its weight bearing capacity as a column (known as a "Lally
column" in your basement) and it doesn't seem like this would be
needed to hold up a residential basketball hoop.

It really is no surprise it broke. A long thin bar of concrete
wouldn't be very strong in bending unless it had rebar in it (glad it
didn't). And without the metal intact around it, a long bar or rod of
concrete is all that it is/was.


Reply to NG only - this e.mail address goes to a kill file.