Second pour

Today was the second concrete pour for our house. The LOGIX ICF (insulated concrete forms) were stacked four high, to 54" tall, bringing the walls about 12" above the final finished floor. Harold and his crew did the bulk of the work on this pour.

Here's a shot of Colin who got more splattered by the concrete than anyone else on the crew.

We used 39 cubic meters (51 cubic yards) today. This brings to total volume of concrete to 47 cubic meters (74.5 cubic yards) so far. Tomorrow we'll begin filling the inside of the foundation with course sand. For that task I borrowed my neighbor Gord's bobcat. I haven't operated a bobcat for many, many years. I practiced my manouvering by moving a huge pile of dirt which will be used for backfill to the front yard. It took me about three hours. By the end of that time I had gotten a little smoother at the contols but I was so stiff and sore from all the bouncing and jostling I recieved. I was reminded why a bobcat is not my favorite machine. I also learned it is best to wait at least an hour after eating to use such a machine.  :)

Tomorrow we'll begin with the sand inside the foundation.

-grampa dan

Crazy day!

Today started nice and mellow. It wouldn't stay that way for very long. Harold's crew worked on making sure the first few rows of the LOGIX forms were perfectly level. I went to get another load for them to stack on top. When I got back to the worksite the fellow who was installing the septic tanks had arrived along with his excavator and a giant truck with the massive precast concrete tanks. From that point on the worksite was wall to wall action. A second hiab truck arrived with the rented forms for the inside bearing walls. Pharm dug a neat hole and they coaxed the tank into place without bumping the footing posts for the porch.

I had meetings with clients, and ran a number of trips for the last of the LOGIX blocks. A short while later both tanks were in place.

By the end of the day most of the required block for the first pour was in place. It was starting to look like a house construction site at last.

We'll be pouring the first four rows of blocks on Thursday. Following that it will take a few days to place the many, many truckloads of sand inside the foundation, packing it firmly into place as we work our way to the top. We'll also do much of the backfilling on the outside of the foundation at the same time. Then we'll begin stacking the LOGIX blocks the rest of the way up to the ceiling hieght and do one more pour to finish the walls. In about two weeks it will be time to begin setting the roof trusses into position. 

Many folks are stopping by, amazed at the quick progress... but I'm trying my best to figure out ways to make it all go faster. Christmas is coming fast and it is our hope to be in the house by then.

-grampa dan

Assembling the LOGIX blocks

Today was the first day of putting down the LOGIX blocks. Harold's crew took great care to first layout a perfectly square and accurate building onto the footings. Once all the chalk lines were snapped it was time to begin placing the LOGIX blocks. They bottom row was laid out and then tied togeher with nylon straps, always starting at the corners. Here Colin is tying the corner blocks of the entry.

Heavy rebar was then snapped into place before the next row was fit on top. The second row was tied together and also to the first row. The crew then used a laser level to make sure everything was perfect. The blocks were shimmed as necessary and then glued to the footings using a low expansion spray foam. By the end of the day they had completed two full rows. It will go faster from this point as there will be a lot less tying of blocks necessary. Four rows of blocks will be placed before the first pour. We can then fill the inside of the foundation with sand to seven inches below where the concrete floor will be poured. We should be ready to pour the first stage of the walls on Wednesday.

-grampa dan