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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
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    Parkside - South Australia
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    Question Options for securing bamboo totems to ground.

    Hi Folks ...

    I am on the grounds committee at the kids primary school. As part of an art installation the kids have painted up some bamboo totems and they are looking for options on how to install these externally into a recently refurbished garden area.

    We have been scratching our heads a little as to the best way to approach this project and would welcome any suggestions. The preference is for a system where the bamboo can be removed if damaged, or to give the opportunity to remove and repaint. This would rule out direct concreting into the ground - and I am not sure on what lengths that they are so there may not be sufficient length to go in the ground.

    A couple of ideas I have:

    1. Concrete a length of reo / steel rod into the ground. Slide bamboo over like a skewer. Difficulty is I can see how the bamboo can be secured to the rod - so kids could simply lift off and removed, leaving the exposed steel rod.
    2. Concrete a circular gal pipe / circular fence post into the ground. Slide bamboo as above and screw through bamboo into post at base to lock bamboo in position.
    3. As per 3 but perhaps 50mm PVC in lieu of gal pipe.
    4. Don't have that may options yet!

    I'm not sure the exact internal diameter of the bamboo so that will need to be checked for options 2+3. Also not sure if the bamboo is fully hollow or comprises of chambers - I will follow up tomorrow to see if I can have a look at the completed totems. We are also looking at doing this as a working bee so that needs to be considered, and overall cost.

    Happy to hear any suggestions.

    Cheers
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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    South Australia
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    4,470

    Default

    No. 2 except what about using H4 treated pine post, could be fairly simply adjusted to suit the internal dimensions of the bamboo I am assuming they are large diameter, top of post could be rounded, if it was then exposed it would less of a hazard.

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
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    back in Alberta for a while
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    12,006

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sir Stinkalot View Post
    I am on the grounds committee at the kids primary school. As part of an art installation the kids have painted up some bamboo totems and they are looking for options on how to install these externally into a recently refurbished garden area.

    We have been scratching our heads a little as to the best way to approach this project and would welcome any suggestions. The preference is for a system where the bamboo can be removed if damaged, or to give the opportunity to remove and repaint. This would rule out direct concreting into the ground - and I am not sure on what lengths that they are so there may not be sufficient length to go in the ground.

    A couple of ideas I have:

    1. Concrete a length of reo / steel rod into the ground. Slide bamboo over like a skewer. Difficulty is I can see how the bamboo can be secured to the rod - so kids could simply lift off and removed, leaving the exposed steel rod.
    2. Concrete a circular gal pipe / circular fence post into the ground. Slide bamboo as above and screw through bamboo into post at base to lock bamboo in position.
    3. As per 3 but perhaps 50mm PVC in lieu of gal pipe.
    4. Don't have that may options yet!

    I'm not sure the exact internal diameter of the bamboo so that will need to be checked for options 2+3. Also not sure if the bamboo is fully hollow or comprises of chambers - I will follow up tomorrow to see if I can have a look at the completed totems. We are also looking at doing this as a working bee so that needs to be considered, and overall cost.
    thoughts
    primary school curriculums are often scheduled around a 2 year block, where the curriculum topics can be covered in any order over the two years. So years 3 & 4 work off the same curriculum. Similarly for years 5 & 6.

    so the kid's art installation is likely to be replaced or repositioned every 2 years. Perhaps as frequently as every year.


    suggestions
    DON'T concrete any posts or steel rod into the ground.
    Use 1"x1" square [hardwood] tomato stakes (or even round bamboo ones) to anchor the bamboo totems in the garden soil.
    use a couple of square drive or torx head screws to attach the totems to the tomato stakes. (square drive or torx head screws because they will be difficult for the "average" parent to find a driver to remove the screw.) Alternatively use Philips (not Pozidrive) screws to make the removal of the totems easy.
    regards from Alberta, Canada

    ian

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    McBride BC Canada
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    Canada. Jasper National Park. The new(?) 40' totem pole by the railway station.
    The Tale of Two Brothers, carved by the Edenshaw boys and apprentices in Haida Gwaii.
    Concrete foundation and a massive hinged steel post, the pole is bolted to the steel.
    I can't find my pictures.

    Your bamboo: enough of a concrete footing that could be dug up if it had to be removed.
    Flat steel strap, say 37 mm x 6 mm x 50cm exposed.

    What's your weather? , wind speed, wind load? pole height?

    I'm carving a couple of 5"x 64" story poles meant for indoor display.
    Expect to get some sort of steel bases made up.

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
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    Yarram
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    2,207

    Default

    How about suspending them?

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
    Location
    Parkside - South Australia
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    45
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    3,316

    Default

    Thanks the the thoughts guys.

    I dropped past the art room this morning to see what we were dealing with (perhaps should have done before asking the question last night).

    The bamboo is much smaller than I had imagined, much more random and more plentiful. They are not hollow all of the way through and the hole in the middle also varies.

    At this stage I think to keep it simple it might just need to be some tomato stakes in the ground (no concrete) and then skewering the bamboo and securing with a screw. Not sure how best to core through the bamboo yet!

    The suspension is an interesting approach. I might think about that a bit more.

    Cheers










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