Skip to main content

Building in Coupeville 3 . Reinforced Concrete basement walls .


Just after the Labour Day weekend holiday Eric's team began setting up the forms that would hold the concrete in place around the reinforcing rods .
Firstly Kurt examined the plans to determine where the driveway would end up . Now that the basement footings were in place he first calculated how high the ground floor surface would be . Then he took off 21 inches for the final height of the garage screed . This would give three steps down from the kitchen to the garage . From this he knew the height of the driveway at the garage . He then set up a string line from here heading to the driveway stub . This was to be the ground height across the building and determined where the basement concrete walls could step down .
By code here the walls must either be full height so they are supported by the floor joists or can be a maximum of five feet to support a maximum of four feet of soil . Any more soil and the wall could bow out where the concrete attaches to the wooden section .
The next job was to cut and tie reed bar the correct height to the uprights coming out of the footings . Here again for earthquake resistance the steel is on one foot centres . Finally the sides of the wall form were positioned located in the clips which had earlier been affixed into the footings . These were 1 1/4 inch ply and start out 8' x 2' but are cut on site as required for the actual wall sizes . They are placed horizontally and held together at the top by " spring clips " . Once the next level is in position these are secured with special metal wedges called " shoes ".
The top sections are held using some of the same clips that were used at the base though these can be removed later .
The wall ends for changes in level are formed with 8" x 2" either plane or where desirable treated cedar with nails set at angles into the form . Finally before the concrete can be poured everything is leveled , squared straightened and braced .
Finally everything was ready for the big pour ! Again Eric's team worked in unison . Eric wrestled the concrete anaconda whilst tightrope walking around the form greatly assisted by the fine control of the boom operator from Pugit Sound Pumping ! . A continuous pour where necessary in layers to reduce stress on the form . The top which had previously been marked by chalkline was accuratly reached and perfected by jeff and Kurt who stired with black marigolds and floated to perfection . The hurricane straps were already in the form . The many hold down bolts were finally accurately placed to the specified locations in the firming concrete and the right depth for a possible 3 1/2 sole plate which would give 2" more ceiling height in the basement and a 2" taller building .
At last next day the form was removed and the structure was revealed in all its glory .
All this for $ 300-00 a cubic yard plus pumping ! I am well pleased with the result - Pictures here .
More to come - watch this space !
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The S.T.EN. Gun

“ We will never surrender !” France fell to the German Blitzkrieg in May 1940 . The retreating British Army ended up being rescued from the beaches of Dunkirk by a flotilla of little ships leaving behind much of their equipment . A German invasion was expected ! Winston Churchill the British prime minister made his famous “ we will fight them on the beaches – we will never surrender ! “ speech and the Battle of Britain was on ! The UK desperately needed submachineguns . The Government ordered well made expensive Thompsons from the still neutral United States but there was never enough available . In order to rapidly equip a sufficient fighting force to counter the threat of invasion , the Royal Small Arms Factory , Enfield ( North London ) was commissioned to produce an alternative quickly and in large numbers . Whats in a name S.T.En. There Major R. V. Shepherd OBE and Mr. Harold John Turpin came up with the Design which became...
14 comments
Read more

Bonny and Clyde and the Browning Automatic Rifle

Bonnie and Clyde and the BAR ! Clyde Barrow, holding a Browning automatic rifle. BAR's could fire a twenty-shot magazine loaded with armor-piercing ammunition in under three seconds. During the depression of the 1930's in the USA criminals were looked at in a different way by many of the people who had been victimized and impoverished by the rich bankers and the emerging powerful corporations. Many people saw them as people driven to the edge that were only taking back what was stolen from them and striking back at a society and Government that let the Depression cause so much harm to so many . Two of the most famous criminals of that time were Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow . They were known to be quite skilled with their weapons, and unlike most criminals, they practiced with them and maintained them . Sadly they are considered to be responsible for the deaths of at least Nine law enforcement officers and five civilians during...
5 comments
Read more

501 NE 4th street - Plumbing

  Drainage     The first thing I have found strange is the constant requirement for testing at every stage but here with the building being largely wooden it does make sort of sense . A  minor fault in the plumbing could lie undetected otherwise within the walls and only surface once damp damage had become extensive and be very costly to repair . Thus it is required that once the drains have been run throughout the building frame they are filled completely with water to ensure their soundness . I took the wise precaution of making up a screw in fitting with a pressure gauge and an inflation valve to test the pipes with air first as once the system was full of water it would be time consuming and difficult to get the water out and to dry where necessary to effect repairs .     First things first - all the drainage flows within the house in a trunk and branch layout . The main 4 inch drain had already been tested and laid  under the b...
16 comments
Read more