Friday, November 28, 2008

Thanksgiving and the day after - winterizing

Making sure no more rain-induced falls of clay from the cut, including putting in the permanent perimeter drains for the foundations.Ezy-flow perforated pipe and surrounding styrofoam "tile".The geo-textile draped into the cut; it will eventually just keep the drain from silting up. The gap will by filled with crushed rock.E carrying the 30 m [100 ft] by 6 m [20 ft] poly.Draped to keep the rain and water off and out.A month earlier; a bit of a change.A bit of trenching to help.Finishing touchesOn to the next job

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Day 30 - WALLS !

Can you spot the differences ? in these first 4 pictures
Instructions.The rebar ties in to the metal grids inside the polystyrene forms.
Moderately benign weather, but only about 6 deg C [45 F], some rain today, but at least not incessant.Good end to the work day... ...but not done yet; the pickup in the background [above] got well and truly bogged after it slipped down the hill to E's left, trying to reverse past the trailer. It slid, tail first, from just behind the dirt pile to lower than where it is parked below [In drier times the little dirt road could be driven on].

We had to, eventually, skull drag it out with our old pickup and a chain. It was too too slippery to get up that little hill without assistance after all the rain.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Days 26 thru 28 more progress

Friday day 26: E arrives on another cold foggy day
The cool conveyor truckThe remote let him guide the conveyor, and drive the truck around !!!The plate compactor
Our surf buddy John Orbeton helping move the rock around.
John; January 2006; he made the drop !!!Our usual finishing time... after dark; E tidying upWoops; a pile in the wrong placeNeed to go from here to there.Done; shovels and wheelbarrow.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

FOUNDATIONS - day 23

In the beginning...
Detail of E's work on the rebar, what she was doing with head down and tail up for the last few daysWaiting for concrete, with the 37 meter pumpGiving the driveway all it can hold, about 28 tonnes (60000 lbs)
Action !The very first concreteA was actually working sometimes...Near disaster as the grade stakes holding the formwork started snapping and we thought we were about to dump a few yards of wet concrete where it shouldn't've been.Of course, when the second cement truck arrives, so did everything else that wanted to drive up the street.
Cement trucks passing in the... well, in the dayAbout half wayThe 1st truck parked on the new turnaround section of drivewayAll poured ! And the formwork held up, fortune favours fools and drunks maybeThe 2nd truck parked on the new turnaround section of drivewayAnd this one weighed 29 tonnesThe end of the day, the pump drives away... and 27 cubic yards of concrete... and a few thousand dollars later, we have foundations.