Before you mix
The form
- Rim at the correct height — re-check off a level line from the joist tops
- Rim cut square all around (measure at 4 points)
- Plumb in two directions 90° apart
- Braced so it cannot move — push hard on it
- Centered in the deck opening, gap measured at 4 points
- Bottom sealed to the ground so paste cannot escape
The cage
- 3″ clear off the hole bottom
- Roughly centered, ~1½″ of soil clearance all around (13″ hole, bars on a 9.6″ circle)
- Hanger stick across the rim, 3–4 doubled wires
- Every tie twisted tight, tails bent inward
- Nothing touching the form or the soil
The conduit
- Both capped or taped
- Pull string in both, tied off at each end
- Braced so they cannot float
- Confirmed clear end to end
North
- Two stakes on the north line, 15–20 ft apart, clear of steel
- Verified on the bench which way the index rod points with the mount fitted
The adapter
- Assembled, torqued, re-measured
- Buried nut + fender washer on each rod, dry — no anti-seize
- Projecting threads taped against splash
- Depth mark taped on a rod
- Bottom rotor face clean, degreased, unpainted
- Within arm's reach of the pier, not in the garage
Tools staged
- Mixing tub, hoe, buckets, water
- Rod for consolidating each lift
- Trowel, float, torpedo level, tape
- Wire snips · spare steadying stick
- Plastic sheeting · gloves · eye protection
Pouring
- Mix on the stiff side of soupy
- Place in ~12″ lifts, rod each one, tap the form
- Watch the cage — if it shifts, stop and reset
- Stop ½″ below the rim
- Screed flat, snip hanger wires, lift the stick off
Setting the adapter — the 30 minutes that count
- Lower straight down, no rocking
- Press until paste squeezes out all around
- Level on the rotor, at 0° / 45° / 90° / 135°
- Index rod sighted to the north stakes
- Rods plumb
- Re-check all three every 10 minutes for half an hour
- Slope the surface slightly away from the rotor
After
- Cover with plastic, keep damp 3 days
- Do not touch for 24 hours
- 24–48 hrs: back out tube screws, slide the crossbar out
- Leave the form on through day 7 — it is a curing jacket
- 7 days minimum before any load
Weather
Do not pour below ~40°F or with a freeze in the next 48 hours. Above ~85°F it sets fast and you lose the adjustment window. Shade the pier if it is sunny.