I've got an old basketball hoop pole sunk in my asphalt driveway, about an inch away from a concrete pad. I want to get it out, at least enough to cover over with an asphalt patch kit. I don't want to leave any of the pole exposed. What would be the best way to do this? I could get it mostly flush with an angle grinder, but not sure how to best break up the asphalt to get below the surface?
Thanks!
The way I found to lower an embedded pipe below grade is to first cut the pipe as low as possible. This involves 2 cuts, the first is to remove enough so that when the second cut is made the remaining section can be handled safely. Use a reciprocating saw with a long enough metal cutting blade.
After the second cut the pipe should be 3/4-1 inch protruding from the ground. Next make 2 cuts so that the pipe is cut in quarters. With a cold chisel and short handled sledge pound each of the 4 quartered pipe sections inwards to the pipe.
Hammer each section at a time until they touch the inside of the pipe. When done the pipe will be below ground level and ready to be filled with asphalt.
Alternately, once the pipe has been cut so that it is close to the ground cut the inside wall with a new saw-zall metal blade and again at 30 degrees from the first. You may not cut all the way through, but the resulting 2 slices will be enough to snap the pipe with pliers. It can then be twisted and rolled from the ground.
Cut it off two inches above the surface, then pour a little molten paraffin into the bottom to make sure the bottom is sealed. Then pour muriatic acid into the well. It will dissolve the pipe.
A grinder or circular saw will get that asphalt. You just need a diamond blade or a much more cost effective black fiber masonry blade or 3 (they wear down to smaller & smaller). Cut a circle if possible to not create weak corners & cut it bigger & bigger, enough to get your grinder in there to shave or cut the pole down further. You want a minimum depth of an inch for an okay asphalt patch, deeper is better. Concrete may be immediately under the asphalt & the blades will cut it but you'll have to chisel the concrete for depth. You can also get the pipe down by sledging the cut pipe inward, but you may only get 1/2" of down curl.
