How do you reinforce an upright wooden post?

Question

I have a 12ft 6x6 post that current sits about two feet in the ground in a concrete tube that extends a foot above the ground line. Attached to the sides of the top of the post are two 2x10's that support hanging chairs on either end. Now, I realize the obvious, the foundation is much too shallow - I have no control over that.

So, the entire post is shifting the ground a bit, depending on the weight at either end. I would like to find a way to reinforce the post and keep it stable without having to add support braces to the bottom. I was thinking about digging out the ground around the concrete tube base and driving rebar into the ground at radiating depths and angles (like tree roots?) and then filling the basin with concrete. Would this be a suitable fix? Are there any other suggestions or options?

Pulling the structure out of the ground really isn't an option, so I don't think I can dig a deeper foundation.

Thank you

Answer 1

That will work, but you will want to have the concrete thick enough to restrain the post.  The new concrete will not bond to the old, so you will need the thickness.

Answer 2

I think your idea might work but I'm not sure. I would go to home depot and ask the guy in that department if they have any thing that would help you. I built a deck and they were very helpful with new items on the market that I did not know about. GOOD LUCK!

Answer 3

The rebar may not contribute much if the surrouding soil is soft, as they have limited support capacity due to their physical size.  If you poured individual footings for each one, that would be better.

The idea for a wider base should help a lot, as long as you can get it to bond to the existing base.   Definitely use rebar bent in circles in that part to keep it from cracking and allowing the base to tilt.  

Answer 4

Sounds like the post is loose.

If it was me I'd replace the whole thing.

Answer 5

Viagra.