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Post in ground

Post in ground is a engineering topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Post in ground rather than just read about it. In short: A post in ground construction, also called earthfast or hole-set posts, is a type of construction in which vertical, roof-bearing timbers, called posts, are in direct contact with the ground. They may be placed into excavated postholes, driven into the ground, or on sills which are set on the ground without a foundation.

Post in ground — main illustration
Post in ground — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Post in ground belongs to engineering; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Post in ground to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Post in ground from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A post in ground construction, also called earthfast or hole-set posts, is a type of construction in which vertical, roof-bearing timbers, called posts, are in direct contact with the ground. They may be placed into excavated postholes, driven into the ground, or on sills which are set on the ground without a foundation. Earthfast construction is common from the Neolithic period to the present and is used worldwide. Post-in-the-ground construction is sometimes called an "impermanent" form, used for houses which are expected to last a decade or two before a better quality structure can be built. Post in ground construction can also include sill on grade, wood-lined cellars, and pit houses. Most pre-historic and medieval wooden dwellings worldwide were built post in ground.

History This type of construction is often believed to be an intermediate form between a palisade construction and a stave construction. Because the postholes are easily detected in archaeological surveys, they can be distinguished from the other two. The Japanese also used a type of earthfast construction until the eighteenth century, which they call Hottate-bashira (literally "embedded pillars"). The Dogon people in Africa use post in ground construction for their toguna, community gathering places typically located in the center of villages for official and informal meetings.

Poteaux-en-terre In the historical region of New France in North America, poteaux-en-terre was a historic style of earthfast timber framing. This method is similar to poteaux-sur-sol, but the boulin (hewn posts) are planted in the ground rather than landing on a sill plate. The spaces between the boulin are filled with bousillage (reinforced mud) or pierrotage (stones and mud). One extant example of post in ground construction is the Bequtte-Ribault House in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri. There is also archeological evidence of similar houses in St. Louis near the original boat landing.

Gallery of poteaux-en-terre

See also French colonization of the Americas Old Spanish Fort (Pascagoula, Mississippi). The La Pointe-Krebs House. Pit-house Post church Ste. Genevieve, Missouri Stilt house

References

External links

EARTHFAST ARCHITECTURE IN EARLY MAINE Earthfast Architecture at the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities

Illustrations

Post in ground: An earthfast shelter. The posts are buried in the ground so no bracing is necessary.
An earthfast shelter. The posts are buried in the ground so no bracing is necessary.
Post in ground: Some researchers consider sills placed on the ground, rather than on a foundation, to fall under the type earthfast construction. Fishing house without a chimney, circa 1750. The Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia
Some researchers consider sills placed on the ground, rather than on a foundation, to fall under the type earthfast construction. Fishing house without a chimney, circa 1750. The Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia
Post in ground illustration
Post in ground illustration
Post in ground illustration

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Post in ground

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Post in ground claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In engineering, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Post in ground before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Post in ground ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Post in ground

In research
Post in ground appears in engineering research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Post in ground in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Post in ground is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Building engineering, Culture of Missouri, Foundations (buildings and structures), so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Post in ground outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Post in ground in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Post in ground means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Post in ground out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Post in ground in simple terms?

A post in ground construction, also called earthfast or hole-set posts, is a type of construction in which vertical, roof-bearing timbers, called posts, are in direct contact with the ground. They may be placed into excavated postholes, driven into the ground, or on sills which are set on the groun…

Why does Post in ground matter?

Because it connects several engineering ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Post in ground?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Post in ground.

Tags

  • Building engineering
  • Culture of Missouri
  • Foundations (buildings and structures)
  • French-American culture in Missouri
  • French-Canadian culture in the United States
  • French colonial architecture
  • History of construction
  • New France

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