A few months ago, a Pennsylvania builder wrote to PDB to recommend Perma-Columns, which are precast deck posts made with 10,000 psi concrete. “We get to skip all of the messy, small-job concrete stuff,” wrote Brook Rush. “Inspectors seem to like them, and my guys love them.” The columns – which come in 4×4 and 6×6 sizes and in 30-in. and 40-in. lengths, recently received ICC certification (you can read their ICC-ES evaluation report by clicking here), which should make building inspectors even happier.
Rush reports that frost depth in his area is 36-in., making the 40-in. posts a good fit once the required footing has been poured. For uplift resistance, the company offers a metal bracket that bolts to the bottom of the pier, called a DP Extender, which can be embedded in a poured-in-place footing. Alternatively, rebar or even galvanized steel angles can be bolted to the bottom of the post for uplift resistance. The company offers a number of different details in their design manual, which is available as a PDF in a document library on the company’s website.
The columns – which are similar to the company’s beefier precast columns designed for post-frame construction – are rebar-reinforced and come fitted with a U-shaped 1/4-in. powdercoated steel bracket. According to company literature, a 40-in. long 4×4 Perma-Column weighs about 50-lbs., and costs about $45.00. A 6×6 post the same length weighs about 105-lbs., and costs about $70.00. permacolumn.com
This article originally appeared in Professional Deck Builder
