How do you compact the base of a 7' deep hole for aluminum light pole?

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sparky1591

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Location
Mississipi
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Electrician
We are tasked to put 32 feet aluminum pole total with 25 ft above, 7 ft will be below grade and will be encased in concrete. After digging the 36 inches in diameter and 7 ft deep using an auger, the base soil look really loose. How do we go about compacting the bottom of hole? I doubt any equipment (wacky packer, vibratory sled) would fit in there. I was thinking of using a hand tamper, tying a rope at the top of the handle then drop it in the hole and start compacting it that way. I don't know if that is enough though. Any recommendation?
 
I would think the the weight of 7' of concrete would be enough to compress whatever loose material is in the bottom of the hole. Otherwise a heavy kettlebell on a rope dropped repeatedly into the hole would do it.
 
You can buy a manual pole tamp with an 8' handle like we have, but your not in the business of needing one a lot.

Get a piece of metal, say 3/8" or 1/2" thick and weld a handle on it.
 
Take a 12" concrete block, tie an 8' length of rope through it so the flat side is down. Tie the other end around the center of a length of 2x4, maybe 4 foot long. Then you and a helper on each end of the 2x4 lower the block down into the hole and bounce it all around the bottom. (y)

-Hal
 
Can you remove the handle from a tamper and replace it with a stick of EMT?

looks like this one with a fiberglass handle might just have a pin/cotter pin holding it in
 

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VirutalElectrician said:
Why aren't you using helical piers?
Click to expand...
Soil may not be right. Rocky, etc.

I’ve never know helical piers to be cheaper than drilled and poured concrete piers.
It’s just too dense and rocky where I work.
We put a bunch of highway lights with them.
We had about a dozen that broke in some way and ended up drilling and pouring concrete.
 
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