[Teetorbilt]

I have to remount a gate that was blown out during the hurricaines. This is a serious gate! The gateposts are 3' X 3' concrete about 5' high. The hinges were custom made by a blacksmith and are 5/16" thick, they were attached to the gatepost with 3/8" lags. They stayed with the gate and ripped the lags out of the concrete causing some significant damage to the gateposts.
I am looking for a product to replace the damaged part of the posts and the lags have to back in the same position. I am considering hydraulic cement but was wondering if any of you masons out there know of a more suitable product.

 

[PipeGuy]

I've often used products like oktacrete, cempatch and preco plug to repair cavities up to about 2" in depth in concrete manhole walls. All worked well (even with hydrostatic pressure working against the repair) but I've never had anything anchored in the repair. Can you use what remains of the intact colums to either set new shields (and use longer bolts to offset the added depth of bury) or anchor new, longer, studs? Then you could fill with hydraulic cement. What about using an epoxy resin filler to near the surface and covering it with cement? Just thinking outloud.

 

[TimWieneke]

repair

Can't help you with the concrete, but I run a blacksmithing forum and can either help you out of look into hooking you up with Florida blacksmiths if so needed on that portion of your project.

Tim

 

[Teetorbilt]

Thanks for the help Pipe, I haven't really done an in-depth examination of the problem. It was only one of many on this job and I overbid on all of them to ensure that I don't take a bath. I was looking for something that cures fast and hard, the breakout is jagged enough that I'm not worried about enough 'tooth'. Epoxies passed through my mind but I have never tried concrete over them, they will stick to almost anything but there are not many products that will stick to them.
Tim, send me a message with your blacksmith site and I'll come over and visit. I still do that as a hobby, don't have a forge but get by pretty well with a rosebud and an anvil that is about 150 yrs. old. I drove the neighbors nuts until they found out what I was doing, now they bring their friends by to show them what all of the noise is about. BTW I do this in my backyard in a residential neighborhood. Just got a new neighbor, hasn't moved in yet, hope he can handle it. I doubt that the realtor pointed out that there was a blacksmith in the hood. LOL

 

[TimWieneke]

Sweet, message sent. I do the same thing on a turn of the century (last century) treadle forge and one of those harbor freight russian anvils (till I can get a good peter wright or something). And of course, I do it in a very residential neighborhood as well so I know where you're coming from....lol.

Tim

 

[Teetorbilt]

Thanks Tim, expect a new visitor.

 

[Crankshaft]

Could you weld the hinge ends on a 1/2" thick plate and then attach the plate with 4 or more 1/2" diameter ready bolts???

 

[Teetorbilt]

Crankshaft, The gate and hinges are fine. I'm trying to repair the concrete pylon that it was attached to.

 

[jdlong]

You should be able to grout anchors in with industrial non shrinking grout. Attached is a link to a typical product.
anchor grout
This type of product is often used to grout heavy machinery anchors into concrete slabs. I've seen it used to secure 40 HP pumps so it would certainly support a cast iron gate.

 

[Teetorbilt]

jd, I'm familiar with the product, just not sure how it would perform outside of a contained enviroment.
I went with hydraulic cement and will go back to attach the gates on Tues. I'll post then on how the repair went.