I'm wondering to reinforce the posts in my carport as it seems one good earthquake could throw these off.
Any thoughts on building a form out of wood and pouring concrete around and half-way up the wood post? Would that be sufficient or do I need to go further down/up? Goal is primarily to prevent slipping off in an earthquake[![enter image description here][1]][1]
Best Answer
Concrete does not react well with normal wood, so don't pour up along the post. That's why the little block is on top of the pier you have, its made either of pressure treated wood, or redwood. If you really want a better pier, pour one a little larger then what you have, and you can include a metal hold down or strap to make sure nothing moves later. (and you still need the little block in between the post and pier,by the way, unless you get a full column base the post sits on instead of the concrete).