Showerthought: Is setting posts with dry concrete mix actually faster than mixing first?

I used to always mix my concrete in a wheelbarrow before pouring it into the hole. Took forever, made a mess, and my back hurt after every job. But then I tried the dry pour method on a 40-post job in Austin last month. Just dumped the bag in, added water, and tamped. My helper said I was crazy, said it wouldn't hold. But 3 days later those posts were solid as rock. Which way do you guys usually go for residential jobs? Has anyone had a post fail from dry pour?

3 comments

3 Comments

jones.brooke1mo ago

Dry pour works great here in Texas clay too, even with heavy rain hitting it.

the_jessica1mo ago

Wait, @jones.brooke you guys get enough rain in Texas to even test it? I thought that place was basically a dust bowl half the year.

paige_ellis591mo ago

Actually the real test here isn't just the rain itself, it's how fast our gumbo clay goes from a solid surface to basically a slip and slide. @jones.brooke might be onto something with dry pour because in the Houston area you'll get three inches in an hour then it's bone dry for two weeks. That kind of heavy downpour just sits on top of clay for a while before soaking in, so you need a pour that can handle that initial flood without everything washing into the yard. Regular concrete on clay here cracks like crazy, I've seen it happen to half the driveways in my neighborhood after one good summer storm.