Install 9 Simpson ABA66Z post anchors with 1/2" wedge anchors on cured concrete footings. Rough-cut nine 6x6 PT posts, install and plumb them on the anchors, then use the laser to mark final height and cut and notch each post IN PLACE.
Post Grid Layout (top-down)
Top-down view. Pool at top (curved). Deck framing outline dashed. Beams run through columns of 3 posts, perpendicular to pool.
Wait time: Quikrete 5000 needs at least 3-5 days cure before installing post anchors. Wait 7 days before applying framing loads (beams and joists).
Hardware for This Phase
Item
Quantity
Source
Simpson ABA66Z 6x6 Post Base Z-MAX
9
On hand (Bushka order)
1/2" x 5-1/2" Torquemaster Blue Wedge Anchor Hot Galv
9
On hand (Bushka order)
Simpson SD10 x 2-1/2" Strong-Drive Connector Screws
~75 (8 per anchor × 9)
NEED TO BUY
6x6 PT posts (12' lengths)
9
On hand (cut to length on-site)
Screw type matters: ABA66Z accepts either 16d common nails (0.162" × 3-1/2") or Simpson SD10 × 2-1/2" Strong-Drive Connector screws. Do NOT use SDS Heavy-Duty screws (those are for post caps and other heavier connectors) or SD9 screws (too small for the ABA's larger fastener holes).
Tools
Bosch Bulldog Xtreme rotary hammer + 1/2" SDS-Plus bit
360° laser level + tripod
25' tape measure
Milwaukee 2834-20 circular saw + Diablo 40T blade
Sawzall (finishing 6x6 cuts)
Impact driver + 1/4" hex bit (SD10 screws use 1/4" hex head)
Speed Square
4-foot level (or 6-foot)
Post level (strap-on 2-axis)
Chisel (1" or wider) + hammer
3/4" wrench or socket (for 1/2" wedge anchor nut)
Torque wrench, 1/2" drive with 10-150 ft-lb range (click-type preferred)
Shop vac or compressed air
Permanent marker (notch-face arrows on post tops)
Part A: Install ABA66Z Post Bases
Step 1: Mark Post Centers on Concrete
1Mark the post center on each footing top.
Use plumb bob dropped from the string crossing above (if strings still up), OR triangulate from adjacent footings using measured distances.
Step 2: Drill Center Anchor Hole
2Drill a single 1/2" hole at each post center mark.
1/2" SDS-Plus bit in the rotary hammer
Drill depth: 4-1/2" to 5"
This depth leaves about 1-1/4" of anchor threads sticking up above the concrete — enough to fit the ABA66Z base plate, washer, and nut on top
Drilling slightly deeper than needed is fine — extra room at the bottom holds any residual dust
Blow dust out with shop vac or compressed air
Silica dust: Wear a P100 respirator when drilling concrete.
Step 3: Position ABA66Z Base and Install Anchor
3Place the ABA66Z base plate over the drilled hole, then drive the anchor through both.
Set the ABA66Z base plate on the concrete with its center hole lined up over the drilled hole
Slide the base to fine-tune position over your post center mark (up to about 3/4" of adjustment in the slotted hole)
Drop the 1/2" x 5-1/2" Torquemaster wedge anchor down through the base plate's center hole and into the drilled hole in the concrete
The nut and washer come pre-assembled on top of the anchor from the factory — LEAVE THEM ON (they protect the threads during hammering)
Tap the top of the nut with a hammer, driving the anchor down through the base and into the hole
Stop when the base plate is flat against the concrete and about 1-1/4" of threads (including the nut) is above the base plate
Why this order: Setting the base plate first, then driving the anchor through it, means the anchor stays put once it's set — no need to remove the nut, slide the base on, and re-thread the nut. One clean install.
Step 4: Torque the Anchor
4Tighten the nut to the specified torque.
Use a torque wrench with 3/4" socket
Target: 55-60 ft-lbs (industry standard for 1/2" wedge anchors)
Check the packaging or instructions that came with your Torquemaster anchors — if the manufacturer specifies a different value, follow their spec
Torqueing pulls the wedge up inside the anchor, expanding it against the concrete walls
Anchor is now permanently locked in place
Concrete strength note: Quikrete 5000 reaches 5,000 psi at 28 days — well above what wedge anchors are designed for (specs are typically based on 2,500-4,000 psi concrete). At 7 days cure, Quikrete 5000 is already around 3,500 psi. Higher-strength concrete gives you MORE holding power, not less, and doesn't change the install torque.
Use a torque wrench for the final set — not an impact driver. Impact drivers can over-torque and either strip the anchor threads or crack the concrete around the anchor.
Part B: Rough-Cut and Install Posts
Method: Instead of measuring each post length and cutting on the ground, posts are installed OVER-LENGTH, then marked with the laser and cut to final height in place. This eliminates measure-and-transfer errors — the laser line IS the reference, marked directly on the standing post.
Step 5: Set Laser at Deck-Top Elevation
5Set the 360° laser at the top of the pool coping elevation.
Position tripod centrally to the deck area with line-of-sight to all 9 footings
Adjust tripod height until the laser line is level with the top of the pool coping
Turn on laser, let it self-level
The horizontal line now marks deck-top elevation at every footing — it drives both the rough cuts (this step) and the final cuts (Part C)
Step 6: Rough-Cut Each Post — Measured, Not One Fixed Length
The yard slopes heavily, so post heights vary a lot — back-row posts will be noticeably taller than pool-side posts. Do NOT rough-cut all 9 to one length. Each post gets its own quick measurement.
6Measure each footing and rough-cut its post to that measurement plus margin.
At each footing, hold the tape on the ABA66Z saddle and measure up to the laser line — a rough number is fine (±1/2" doesn't matter here; precision comes later from marking in place)
Rough post length = saddle-to-laser measurement + ~6"
Each footing has its own 12' 6x6, so length is never a constraint — the rough cut only sheds weight and excess (a 12' 6x6 is ~120 lbs; a 4-6' rough post is half that)
Label each post with its footing ID as you cut ("PSL" = pool-side-left, "BR" = back-right, etc.) — with 9 different lengths, mixups are easy
Use the four-sided cut technique: mark all 4 faces with Speed Square, cut each face at full saw depth (~2-5/8"), finish the center with Sawzall
Save the offcuts — lengths will vary, and they're free stock for curved-rim blocking and bench legs
Step 7: Mark the Notch Face on Each Post
Do this BEFORE standing each post. Once 8 screws are driven through the ABA66Z, the post cannot be rotated. Mark the face that will get notched (the beam-side face) on the TOP of each post with a big marker arrow, and orient all 9 posts consistently as you set them. Beams run PERPENDICULAR to the pool — see the notch diagram below in Part D.
Step 8: Set, Plumb, Screw, and Brace Each Post
8Install each rough-cut post into its ABA66Z saddle — completely.
Match each labeled post to its footing (9 different lengths — check the label)
Set the post into the U-saddle, notch-face arrow pointing the correct direction (consistent on all 9)
Post bottom rests on the base plate (1" standoff above concrete)
Plumb in both directions using the strap-on post level or a 4' level on two adjacent faces
Drive Simpson SD10 × 2-1/2" screws (SD10212) through EVERY hole in the ABA66Z flanges — 8 screws per anchor
Add temporary bracing: 2 × 2x4 diagonal braces per post (90° apart), one end screwed to the post mid-height, other end to a ground stake
Fill every hole in the ABA66Z. Skipping holes reduces the anchor's rated load capacity per Simpson's spec table (920 lb uplift, 11,415 lb download when fully fastened). The post must be rigid — plumbed, fully screwed, and braced — before any in-place cutting in Part C.
Part C: Mark and Cut Posts to Final Height — In Place
The laser was set at pool-coping elevation back in Step 5. If any time has passed or the tripod may have been bumped, verify the line still sits level with the top of the coping before marking.
Step 9: Mark the Cut Line on Each Post
Cut line = laser line − 8-1/4"
The 8-1/4" accounts for:
1" for Trex decking thickness (Trex Transcend is 0.94", round to 1")
7-1/4" for 2x8 joist depth (actual dimension of nominal 2x8)
The beam sits IN the notch (cut into the top of the post), so beam depth isn't subtracted.
9Mark each post where it needs to be cut.
Tick the laser line directly on one face of the post with a pencil
Measure DOWN 8-1/4" from that tick and make the cut mark
Wrap the cut line around all 4 faces with a Speed Square — the wrapped line must close on itself back at the start (if it doesn't, re-square and re-mark)
Repeat on all 9 posts. Each post's cut line will be at a different height off the ground (grade slopes) but all cut lines are at the SAME elevation — that's the point of marking off the laser
Step 10: Cut Each Post at the Line — In Place
10Cut each standing post at its marked line using the four-sided technique.
Verify the post is rigid (fully screwed and braced) before cutting
Set circular saw to full depth (~2-5/8" max on the 2834-20)
Cut face 1, move around the post: face 2, face 3, face 4, keeping the shoe registered on the marked line
The uncut center (~1/4" square) finishes with Sawzall or handsaw
The cut lands around chest height on most posts — comfortable working height, but keep two hands on the saw and stand clear of the falling offcut
After cutting all 9, sweep the laser across the post tops as a check: every top should now sit exactly 8-1/4" below the laser line. Any post more than 1/8" off — re-cut or plan a shim in the notch.
Part D: Notch Post Tops — In Place
Per A3.1 detail 01:
Notch Dimension
Size
Depth from top of post (measured downward)
7-1/4" (matches 2x8 beam depth)
Width into post face (how far the notch cuts in)
3" (matches 2-ply 2x8 beam width)
Which face gets notched
LEFT or RIGHT face (choose one, be consistent all 9 posts)
Post material remaining behind notch
2-1/2" (5-1/2" post width minus 3" notch)
Notch orientation: Beams run PERPENDICULAR to the pool through each column of 3 posts. The notch is cut into ONE face (left or right) at the top of the post, forming an L-shaped corner cutout. Do NOT notch through the center of the post.
Left: side view showing the 7-1/4" deep × 3" wide L-shaped notch. Right: top-down view showing which face is notched. All 9 posts get the same notch on the same face.
Step 11: Cut the Notch
11Cut the notch on each standing post.
Mark the notch outline on the marked beam-side face: from the post top, measure DOWN 7-1/4" and square a line across that face — this is the notch shoulder
Set circular saw to max depth (~2-5/8") and cut the horizontal shoulder line — this cut is at chest height and easy to control
Make a series of horizontal kerf cuts every 1/2" from the shoulder up to the post top, across the notch face
Knock out the kerfed waste with chisel and hammer
Clean the notch shoulder (bottom) and back wall flat with the chisel
The saw only cuts 2-5/8" deep; finish the last 3/8" of notch depth with chisel or handsaw to get the full 3" depth.
In-place notching note: The horizontal kerf cuts are comfortable at standing height, but there's no way to register the saw shoe for a vertical rip from the post top — that's why this method uses kerf-and-chisel only. Expect ~15-20 minutes per post. If the first post fights you, the fallback is clean: mark the notch, back out the 8 SD10 screws, notch the post on sawhorses, and reinstall — the ABA66Z saddle re-seats the post identically, so no accuracy is lost. (New screws in the same holes are fine per Simpson if the holes aren't stripped.)
All 9 notches must face the same direction (all left OR all right) so beams align consistently through their columns. This was locked in back in Step 6 when you marked the notch faces — verify the arrow before cutting each notch.
Completion Checklist
All 9 anchor bolts drilled and torqued to spec (55-60 ft-lbs, or per anchor packaging)
All 9 ABA66Z bases positioned on center marks and tightened
All 9 posts rough-cut to their own saddle-to-laser measurement + ~6", labeled, notch faces marked, and installed in ABA66Z saddles
All 9 posts plumb in both directions
All ABA66Z screw holes filled with SD10 × 2-1/2" screws (8 per anchor)
All 9 posts temporarily braced (2 × 2x4 braces each, to ground stakes)
Cut lines marked 8-1/4" below laser line and wrapped around all 4 faces
All 9 posts cut to final height in place
Post tops verified at same elevation with laser sweep (all 8-1/4" below line, within 1/8")
All 9 notches cut in place, facing the same direction, shoulders flat
Common Problems & Fixes
Wedge anchor spins when tightening
Hole is oversized or concrete crumbled around it. Move to a new location if possible, or use epoxy to secure.
Post is 1/4" too tall
Trim with circular saw.
Post is 1/4" too short
Shim under the beam later with hardwood or 1/4" plywood shim placed in the notch.
ABA66Z position drifts off center before tightening
Loosen nut, slide base horizontally to correct position (up to 3/4" adjustment available), retighten.
Post won't plumb
Check that ABA66Z is centered on the anchor slot. Loosen anchor nut, adjust base position slightly, retighten. Then re-plumb post. If post is warped, rotate 90° and try a different face — this only works BEFORE the SD10 screws go in, another reason to plumb carefully before screwing.
Four-sided cut doesn't meet — ledge at the center
The wrapped line didn't close on itself, or the saw shoe drifted. Small ledge (1/16"): knock flat with a chisel or rasp — the beam won't care. Larger: re-wrap the line with the Speed Square 1/4" lower and re-cut all four faces.
In-place notching is fighting you
Mark the notch, back out the 8 SD10 screws, notch the post on sawhorses, reinstall in the saddle, re-plumb, drive the screws back. The saddle re-seats the post identically — no accuracy lost.
SD10 screw won't drive fully
PT lumber can be very dry. Predrill with a 3/16" bit through the ABA66Z flange hole into the post first, then drive the SD10 screw.