Remove old diving board base in concrete?

[JD880]

Hello, I'm trying to figure out how to get rid of an old diving board base that seems to be embedded in concrete without doing too much damage. I'll attach the pictures, my deck is all pavers but this base seems to be just completely in concrete, even if I can just get the base/bolts out and get it flush I would just fill it in with some concrete patch. While trying to reset some of the pavers around the base, I've tapped them with a mallet and it sounds like there is full metal underneath them. Really need to get this base out, looking for ideas. Thanks!

 

[ajw22]

You know anyone with an oxy-acetylene cutting torch?

 

[1Sammy]

On the bottom of that "leg" is a plate. Removing those 4 nuts and a good wack and it'll lift off. Few options to remove nuts. Chip away some cement and use a wrench with a long pipe on it for leverage. You may be able to unscrew the nuts. If not use a cut off wheel on a grinder and cut through the nut / bolt as low as possible. It will take a few 4" or 5" thin cut off wheels.

 

[JD880]

Thanks for the replies, I will try to chip out and first get those nuts off, I know there must be a wide metal plate buried below as I can hear it when I tap the pavers. Got access to a hammer drill so will try that first or else just cut them off.

 

[PoolNewb2020]

Since you have pavers, I would remove them from around the base and see just how big the concrete patch is. It could probably be dug out and pavers put in its place. It probably seems like the most amount of work and it very well may be, but the final outcome will be seamless pavers.
Messing about it without removing the pavers may or may not work, but it will definitely not leave a clean look.

 

[1Sammy]

A 200 lb person jumping up and down on the end of a 6 foot board Needs a pretty big hunk of concrete attached to it don't you think ?

 

[jmgallo23]

An angle grinder with a diamond edge blade would rip through that easily. You could that nicely smooth it out and then per comments above, just patch over it. To me, it doesn't seem worth it to pull the entire thing out. I did this when I removed a basketball hoop post (filled with concrete) in my front driveway.

 

[frbruno64]

Restore the metal base and put a diving board on it. Simple. No digging. Have fun with board.

 

[JD880]

Thanks for some of the tips, ended up getting the whole base out today. Thing was fully cemented in, including the bolts. I guess there was an old concrete deck around this pool from the 70's and the last owner went over some of it in the 80's with the current pavers. The pavers that are about a foot around the diving board base are actually veneers that were just glued on to the old cement, the rest of the surrounding patio area are full pavers. There must've been an old diving board before this one, when I chiseled out the concrete I saw another layer of cut off bolts. Ended up just using an angle grinder on everything and it worked out good. Gonna have my neighbor who does masonry make some veneers and match the rest of the pavers.