Expert: Dan Griffin - 4/27/2010

Question
Hi Dan,
I've searched and I'm sorry if this isn't quite your area of expertise... My mother-in-law has a very old basketball hoop that needs to be taken down. My husband offered to take care of it for her. That is when he learned the ENTIRE POLE is filled with cement. Any way for this to be safely (and relatively easily??) removed?

Thanks so much for your time!

Answer
Cara, I assume you just want to get the pole down to ground level and not remove the concrete and pole that is underground.  That concrete inside the pipe will be tuff on blades.  I would use a small offset grinder with a weld cutting disk.  This makes sparks but will cut the steel fairly quickly.  Once you know that you have cut through all or most of the steel all the way around the pole you should be able to pull or push it over.  The concrete inside the pipe will break fairly easy.  The left over pole will be quite heavy, so make sure it can't fall and damage or hurt anything or anyone.  If the top of the old pipe in the ground and/or the concrete needs to be smoothed up you can use a grinding disk on the same tool.  Things that cut steel do not do well with concrete, wheels that are good at concrete are not good at steel.

The only other tools that would work for you:
dynamite - a short piece of det cord would make very short work of the problem, but may beyond skill/knowledge, availability

sawzall - slow in steel, but will work.  Once the blade hits the concrete, you will need another.  This really can work.

Oxy-acetylene torch - if you have access to one it will work well, but the slag all needs to be blown sideways.  There will be lots of sparks, some molten metal, and the cut will be a bit jagged.  Before the weld cutting disks came about, it is the method I would have used.

I hope this helps.