carportconnectorspergolapost
I want to build a pergola similar to the one below and was wondering what to use to connect the posts to the ground (notice how they are at an angle to the vertical)
Also, what is the connector/connection type used for the top angle, so that there are no visible fasteners?
This is quickly going to become too complicated to tell you for sure if your deck will be able to support a structure like a pergola, but if it is even half the weight of your typical hot tub then your deck will very likely not support it.
To accurately determine this you need to figure out the additional #'s/sq ft of load that a structure as large as a pergola will place on top of the deck. Doing this is simple with something like a spa where you have a clear square footage area and a relatively even weight distribution when filled with water and people. This is not so easy to determine with a structure where certain points of the structure are going to carry the weight of the structure differently. The weight is not as evenly disbursed.
Right off the bat there I would advise you to consult an engineer with your structure plans to determine if this is feasible and safe. This is completely disregarding the fact that your deck is only as strong as its weakest point. If your house is brick and your ledger board is attached with carriage bolts then even if the joists were on 12" centers then you are still likely putting entirely too much stress on the ledger board. You also could have a lot of problems if any part of your structure is going to sit over that 2' overhang.
In the end, an experienced engineer will probably be able to confirm pretty easily if this will be feasible or not.
You need to install knee braces every where you can. (The diagonal piece)
Ideally, the ends should be tightly dadoed a small amount into the beam and post to minimize the inevitable play that develops in connections made solely of mechanical fasteners. The bigger the brace the better, within reason. The best bracing would be the grand-daddy of knee braces-- X-bracing.
Best Answer
That pergola was built a few years ago by Jason Roberson of Charlottesville, VA. I'd write to him and ask how it is holding up and what he might do differently.
https://builderbeast.com/new-construction/decks-and-built-ins/
One of the photos shows that the top joint was pinned laterally. See:
Note that the exifdata in most of the images date the photos as 2013, and don't show the lateral pin. But the photo I cropped and show above is from 2015 per exif data.
The slots in the bottom of the posts look like mortises for 1/2" steel plates sunk into a cement footing.
You can see high res versions of his photos by starting the slide show, then right-click -> View Image (firefox), then edit the image url to delete the questionmark and subsequent characters. For example: