Standing ground water in my post holes?

Question

We are trying to rebuild our fence after hurricane Irene but on the day we finished digging the holes to start pouring concrete we got a surprise isolated thunder storm that gave us about 3 inches worth of rain. We scooped the water out and waited two days and nights for the remainder to evaporate... but there's still quite a bit of water in the holes. We need to get this done ASAP what should we do? Can we line the holes with plastic bags or something?

We're using Quikrete concrete that sets within a 24 hour period, if that makes any difference.

? · Accepted Answer

If you dump a bag of dry quickrete in the hole, the results will be very good.  The concrete is very hard on wood and metal, so a coat of tar over the end of the post will prolong the life of the post if it matters to you.  You didn't indicate what size or material you are using for the posts.

Anonymous · Answer

You should just set the post in the hole and dump the dry quickcrete in,  you can use a piece of rebar or something to stir it up as you dump the quickcrete in this will absorb the water and save you the time in premixing! The concrete will take a bit longer to completely set up but it will still set up in time.

Mike · Answer

If the holes are within reach of an electric outlet, you can drop in a geyser pump. There are also hand pumps. Easiest and cheapest way is to use a siphon if  it can drain below the level of the water in the holes.

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Standing ground water in my post holes?

3 Answers