ᐅ Securing a Carport with Ground Anchors – How to Align It?

Created on: 26 Nov 2022 08:52
T
Thinkpad
Hello everyone!

I want to build a carport on our garden plot to store wood and provide weather protection for a wheelbarrow and similar items. It doesn’t need to have a particularly precise or strong foundation since no car will be parked on it. Because this is a leased plot, I’m not allowed to dig too deeply or lay gravel or anything similar. I will roughly level and compact the ground, then place the base plates directly on the grass/soil.

Since the ground won’t be completely even, I’m wondering how to align the ground anchors. These have to be screwed into the ground like large screws, but it seems unlikely you can keep them perfectly vertical over the full 90 cm (35 inches).

So my question is: what is the best way to align these so that the posts that go into them will have the correct spacing at the top, where the roof will be?

I would appreciate any tips you might have!
T
Thinkpad
4 Dec 2022 12:12
How would you fix the posts in the U-channels? A bolt with a nut and washer, or simply larger wood screws? The channels have only one hole in the center and four around it:

Metal bracket fastener angle with perforations made of steel, building connection component
T
Thinkpad
29 Dec 2022 08:35
I have now read that the posts should not be placed directly on the bottom of the U-profile but should be mounted "floating" for wood protection reasons. However, in that case, the entire weight rests only on the single screw in the central drill hole. Is that really sufficient to safely support the weight permanently? Using the drill holes at the edge would be too risky for me because of wood splitting, as I would have to drill the post right at the outer edge.
Nida35a29 Dec 2022 08:59
Thinkpad schrieb:

I have read that 1. posts should not be placed directly on the bottom of the U-profile, but 2. should be mounted "floating" for wood protection. But then 3. the entire weight rests only on the single screw in the center hole. Is that 4. really sufficient to safely support the weight over time? Using the holes at the edge would feel too risky to me due to wood splitting, since I would then have to drill the post at the very edge.
1. yes
2. yes
3. yes
4. yes
Slightly angle the screws inward when driving them in. A gentle tap on the screw tip prevents the wood from splitting.
T
Thinkpad
29 Dec 2022 14:56
Thank you for the response. If I only use one screw per post, I don’t think there will be any wood splitting (since the hole will be pre-drilled). However, one screw seems quite minimal to me, considering that with the H-beams there are at least two per post…
T
Thinkpad
3 Jan 2023 11:54
How do you align the height of the posts when they are floating? And how much space should be left between the posts and the bearing surface of the floor anchors?
T
Thinkpad
11 Jan 2023 11:01
If I use a 10mm (0.4 inch) drill bit and drill the hole, will an M10 screw fit in it? Also, I don’t quite understand the hammer strike part—how is that supposed to prevent the wood from splitting? These screws don’t have a pointed tip:

Metal bolt with hex head, smooth shank, and thread at the end.