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!
Nida35a11 Jan 2023 11:10
For wood screws with a pointed tip, tapping them in with a hammer helps prevent the wood from splitting.
When aligning the beam, wedge a strip or shim underneath, clamp it with a C-clamp, drill through, and secure with a screw, nut, and washers.
Remove the strip/shim, and the beam will "float" inside the beam hanger.
Stability against tipping over must be incorporated into the carport structure.
At the bottom of the beam, these are sliding bearings, not fixed bearings.
H
hanghaus2023
11 Jan 2023 11:35
Nida35a schrieb:

For wood screws with a pointed tip, tapping with a hammer helps prevent the wood from splitting.

In principle, you are right. But with a wood screw of 10mm (0.4 inch) diameter, that is definitely not enough. I pre-drilled with 8mm (0.3 inch) and used Wiener screws.
T
Thinkpad
11 Jan 2023 11:42
Well, I would have thought that a screw with nuts would be the right choice for that.
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hanghaus2023
11 Jan 2023 11:49
Thinkpad schrieb:

Well, I would have thought a bolt with nuts would be the right choice for that.
I thought one bolt might not be enough for you. Why are 10mm (0.4 inch) holes planned there? What does the structural engineering say?
T
Thinkpad
11 Jan 2023 12:21
So, I haven’t hired a structural engineer to calculate this. My plan was simply to insert a 10mm (3/8 inch) screw centered into each post. The entire post plus the corresponding part of the roof structure will rest on it. That’s why I asked earlier if this would be sufficient, since an H-beam usually has two such screws.
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hanghaus2023
11 Jan 2023 12:28
The carport manufacturer should have a structural calculation.