Pole barn posts

[giffy]

A question on backfilling around the posts, I was planning on putting concrete in the bottom, as a pad for the post to set on. After allowing it to cure for a day or two I was going to set the posts in the hole and backfill using crushed stone..........are there any con's to this approach........should I use soil instead? I have clay/rocky soil, should I even bother with the concrete at the bottom? Any thoughts, ideas would be appreciated.

giffy

[just_sawing]

Pouring a pad is great.
Crush and run gravel for around the post is good

[Siryet]

The only thing I would be concerned about is if water gets into the crrushed grave in the winter and frost heaves the posts.

[haypoint]

A gravel filled hole in clay is bound to be wet all the time. Refilling the hole with clay would help, but wet clay isn't going to support your building very well. I had good luck throwing a rock in the bottom of the hole, drop the post into the hole and pouring the hole about half full of concrete, topping it off with clay. If you pour concrete to the gtop of the hole, the hole tends to widen at the top. The concrete will "mushroom" at the top. Each year, the soil will freeze and lift against that concrete throwing your building off. With the post up on a rock, the concrete will form all around the post.

[Justaplain]

Have you looked into useing layered[laminated] 2 bys for posts. The ones in the ground would be treated and then go to untreated above ground? A whole lot cheaper.
Forget the pad and backfill with 3/4" crushed stone. bcs which is Frost Free