Resetting leaning metal fence posts

redser7

Hi,
The houses on our block have a length of metal fencing running across the end of the back gardens. They are just like the second photo in the link below ...
http://www.buffalo-fence.co.uk/security-fencing.htm

My garden has 4 panels and 2 middle posts are leaning in towards the garden (I reckon about 15 degrees???). There was about 10 years of ivy growing on it which I just cleared (very heavey thick branches). There were also a couple of dead trees with heavy branches leaning on it. Those are gone now too. So I don't think there is a problem with the installation, just the constant pressure pushed the posts over. They do not lean left or right at all, just forwards.

The post are set in concrete. So I'm wondering how best to reset them plumb. To be honest it is not an option for me to dig out the concrete and smash it up. I would rather leave it than take that job on. But if I braced the posts, dug down in front and behind, levelled them back, and put something in like postcrete, would that do the job?
Thanks a lot for any advice

Martron

can you push the posts back up? and if so what happens when you leave them? do they resettle?

it might be a case of pushing back the posts and in the void beside the footing refilling that with concrete while propping the fence.

ideally i would imagine you would want to dig a small bit around the footing in the direction that its settling. then if possible for you to create a slightly bigger footing and join the new footing to the old footing with a dowel bar.

redser7

No they barely budge at all and just spring back. Tried pushing and pulling, even tied a rope and tried to lever one back with a railway sleeper :-) I guess the pressure was so gradual that the soil has settled tight around the footing. I can't imagine it is possible the post has bent, they are thick galvanised I-shaped steel and very heavy. How would I join the dowel to the old footing? Thanks for the reply

Carlow52

as noted, dig out soil front and back of foundation for the piers.{ if u can go all the way around, just a bit on each side to ease the load}

Rent 2 heavy duty acrows and 'dream up' some way of getting something to take the load at the top of the I section from the top of the acrow.[ if u can rent one with a flexible head, so much the better)- test the thread on then in the shop, should be free of concrete and run freely, use wd 40 when u get home

Fix the base of acrow, say on the sleeper you have, at a suitable angle and by cranking up the acrow, u may get a shift on the foundation block.

Back fill with concrete ( 4 parts gravel/ 1 part cement, with some plasticizer if u can, not fairy liquid) and leave for 7 days if you can

redser7

Thanks for the solution Carlow, the sheer weight was worrying me once I started to dig around the base, it could topple forward even more and collapse. You've got me thinking about using a car jack to winch it back. Cheers