concrete columns for commercial signs

[nar]

my customer wants to build a concrete/brick column which will be subjected to wind load. I always suggest having rebar inside or a steel pipe inside for support and thses are direct buried in concrete. his column is 15" square and 7 high and wants to use 2 x 4s (8 of them) istead of rebar or pipe. is there a problem with this? is my way better?

 

[JAE]

What does your structural engineer suggest? Depends on the wind area, sign size and height, soil conditions, etc.

Embedding wood 2x4's in concrete isn't a good idea.

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[BridgeSmith]

Wood is too flexible to be an effective structural support for concrete or masonry. The only thing a 2x4 will do in a concrete/brick column is give you something handy to screw into for attaching stuff. Later, when it rots away, it leaves a nice duct.

 

[EdStainless]

Use 4 steel 4"x4" tubes.
Wood won't provide either the needed strength or stiffness.

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P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube

 

[berkshire]

Many years ago I used to work for a sign company.
At that time the accepted practice was to put up a properly rated load bearing tube, then build a veneer around it to hide if required.
B.E.

You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.

 

[JAE]

EdStainless

I agree about wood not being appropriate but the OP didn’t designate how large or how tall their sign was. So four 4x4 tubes may not even be close to working.

Best not to provide design solutions when you don’t have all ( or in this case any) of the design parameters.

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