My Cement RANT!!!!!!!

[ducks4you]

I HATE CEMENT!!!!!
My property is pretty neat in a lot of ways. BUT--about 1/2 a century ago a previous owner decided to lay down cement to:
a) hold up corner fence posts
and
b) support a feeding manger
Problem #1
TWO of the cement pieces that held up corner fence posts saw the wood rot but the metal fence posts were left when my new "NO POSTS IN CEMENT" fencing was installed 2 years ago. I dug out, 3 foot deep, two of these that each had 4 inches of hazardous-to-my-horses sharp metal points sticking out. I put chains around them, and pulled each of these 300-400 pound balls of 40 year old cement with my truck, several hundred feet, dug holes and buried them metal facing downwards (to rust and decay)--DH's great idea. MUCHO 's!!!

The other 8 pieces need to be removed, but they are not as dangerous.
Problem #2
Said previous owner laid a cement slab (~6 x 8 ft.) with a wooden manger connected to the cement by four 5" x 1/4" flat metal rods screwed into 4"x4" wooden legs. (This is right in front of my turnout shelter!!!!! ) The manger started seriously rotting 10 years ago when I moved in. One of my geldings got a serious wound on a piece of this as it was falling apart. (He was old with other health problems, still it wasn't right RIP, 2009 )
So...manger is gone but the 4 legs are still attached to the cement slab with plenty of rust. (I pushed them down from vertical to horizontal, to minimize any injuries.)
Finally, one leg came loose. So, I got proactive and bought a small power saw with a metal blade. I spent one hour yesterday sawing, and only removed ONE piece down to the cement. There is STILL a small, sharp edge sticking out. I had a broken piece of cattle button (rubber) mat secured on top, to nobody will hurt their hoof on it.
Consider, PLEASE, when you put metal in concrete, that the next generation are gonna have to deal with the mess after you're gone.
BTW, sawing the metal down doesn't completely fix the problem. I will NEED to mix up some Sakrete and cover every one of these, however, so I'm not done yet. Yeah, like I wouldn't rather spend my hours gardening.
Thanks for listening. **sigh**
pictures to follow...

 

[journey11]

Sounds like you'll need some heavy equipment to get that outta there!

 

[ducks4you]

**sniffle** thanks--no tractor, but my "duck-truck" is a 1993 (111,000 miles) 3/4-ton Cummins diesel, so I have some power. AS LONG AS I take it slow, and drag in 1st gear, I think I'm okay.

 

[patandchickens]

Sakrete may not fix the problem for long, as it will be quite hard to get a *lasting* bond between the new and the old, and the new concrete will tend to crack away and come off, re-exposing the metal.

But, how thick is that slab -- is it a normal 4-8" thick? If so, an afternoon with a rented jackhammer could be highly rewarding. In fact even if it is a super thick thing, a jackhammer could at least let you break out the parts where the metal is attached, leaving a result that is merely uneven rather than actively dangerous. Jackhammers are not for those with carpal tunnel syndrome but otherwise it may be the best solution.

Good luck, I won't say 'have fun' ,

Pat

 

[ducks4you]

Thanks, Pat. I was kinda thinking that. Maybe I can find a glue that will adhere a 4 x 6 rubber mat to it? Any thoughts?

 

[lupinfarm]

Home Depot sells a product specifically made for painting on the old concrete (you can also mix it into the new stuff) to create a bond between the two. It kind of reminds me of elmers glue actually LOL. I had to use it on the goat shed when we fixed the foundation.

 

[ducks4you]

Thanks--I'll check that out! I KNOW that glueing the mat is really avoiding the inevitable, but I kinda like my fingers, especially when I'm playing the piano, so I'm not into using any power equipment that might knock 'em off!! My little saw has a safety feature: You have to push and hold the power ON. MAN, it created sparks like the 4th of July!!
Any MORE ideas?

 

[lupinfarm]

hehehe...

we have to jackhammer a 12" deep foundation down by the barn this summer.

 

[ducks4you]

But, how thick is that slab -- is it a normal 4-8" thick?

Yep, 8 inches deep, designed to live LONG AFTER "Life After People."
http://www.history.com/shows/life-after-people

 

[patandchickens]

Of course you would want to use the bonding agent if you are patching new concrete onto the existing slab, but it will still not last real well, especially out there exposed to weather and freezing and such. A few years perhaps, with luck.

I would be skeptical that any glue would hold for long, there will always be crevices for water to seep in and when it freezes it will just crack the mat off the concrete and it will come apart. You could use masonry anchors to *bolt* the mat on, with large metal washers, but that just adds more metal out there and if the mat sees serious traffic it may start to rip within a few years.

Jackhammering out the offending sections (or the whole thing) is probably the best solution IMO. Hey, if nothing else you could probably just apply the jackhammer *to the metal*, whack it off that way, dent the concrete in to form a recess, and maybe leave it at that (with the remaining metal still entirely buried in the slab)?

Good luck,

Pat