construction of tee pads-brainstorming

[john theiss]

i have some questions for you those of you that are knowledgeable in concrete work.  The process that is being used for the tee pad construction might be somewhat unorothdox, but that sounds like the way it is going to be.  the tee pads are going to be poured into five by five sections off site.  then brought to the site and assemble there.  i am envisioning the pads seperating and tilting.   I am  curious if having a male and female end on each slab might work by keeping them locked together.  I was envisioning four to five heavy duty gage pipes that extended out of one slab and could be pushed into a female slab.  Anyone got an ideas besides sexual innuendos?

thanks
John

[Rick Rothstein]

John,

We have several people in the club who are well schooled in concrete work—Kelly Warren, Larry Balmer, Arturo and Bobby—but are never here. Call or write me me if you want contact info.


R

[The Bird Father]

Tee pads where?

I agree...this process will not work without the pads being tied together somehow.

[john theiss]

i just got a message from the parks and rec.  The design and production of the pads is being provided by an industrial arts class  in Blue Springs.  Here is the latest info i received. 

" Our plan is to have some pins in one end that slip into a slot or holes in the opposite end.  There is a concept of placing conduits thru them, then a cable or rod that can be tighten placing tension on the pads"

Sounds interesting and i am anxious to see the design and how it functions.
The pads are for the new course going in at Young Park in Blue Springs.  We are scheduled to start brushogging March 9-13th.  After we get the land somewhat cleared, i will be posting more information about the course and give updates. The parks and rec are fully behind the project and have the funds for the course.  There is a rough timeline in place and they have predicted the course will open this Fall and a pushing forward to make it happen. The course will have two tee pads per hole and two pin placements.

[Tom]

There design will probably work ok. It's success will be governed by how good a base they build to set the two pieces on. Having a joint across the box at 5' will not be the best scenario. I would think that in time the joint will not be flat across it.

I would recommend they construct the slabs in one piece. I would suggest a single slab 4'-8" wide x 10'-0" long x 5" thick with #4 rebar each way at 7 1/2" spacing w/ 2" clear all sides and top. This slab would weigh approximately 2,850 pounds and would be movable with a front end loader equipped with forks.

A well compacted base is key to the longevity of any slab and/or pavement. Also, when setting the pads, it is always a good idea to set them approx 2" higher than the highest point of grade on any side, and then backfill around the pad after setting. This prevents washover such as we have on holes #2,#5, and #13 in Olathe.

[Schoen-hopper]

I think Jack has some info relating to this.  The things you are fighting by building the slabs offsite are:
*Great difficulty in getting the slabs to stay on the same level over a period of time.
*Difficulty in getting the pads at a height where they can be mowed over.
*Difficult to get a surface under the pad without any air space for water to freeze.
*Great difficult transporting 108 extremely heavy pads vs. pouring 36 pads moving nothing.
*Expense and effort try to design measures to fight these difficulties.

What are the advantages to pouring the slabs offsite?

[Ash]

It seems to me they are trying to save money by having students build them for free. However they will probably regret the decision in a couple of years when the pads are not level and they become dangerous to use, and they have to spend more money to repair them. Which seems to me the most likely scenario here unless this is done absolutely perfect. Unfortunately I have no advice because I know very little about concrete construction. I just know that tee pads made of multiple pieces will not be useful nearly as long as tee pads that are poured as one piece on sight.