2012 Construction - week two

Footing forms

We have been working on the footing forms this week.  We got the interior perimeter set yesterday and leveled and should be close to finishing the tower footings later today.

Setting the forms level is the hardest part as it requires a lot of precision... we would like to keep the forms to within 1/8" from level from end to end as it makes the construction from then on much easier.

We have a problem on the east side of the tower footing, as you can see in the picture at right, the rock slopes at about a 45 degree angle, which doesn't make a very stable footing.  We purchased some DexPan, a non-explosive demolition agent (a hydraulic clay that is mixed with water and poured into a drilled hole) that we will use to break up the slope into steps so the footing has a more horizontal surface to sit upon.  We will take lots of pictures!!!  Do you see the face in the rock?  Eventually this will be the bottom of the fish pond... cool huh?

After the forms are set level and squared up we will line the forms with OSB (oriented strand board) down to the bottom of the footing and then place rebar in the forms.

We are planning to pour concrete next week.

By the way, Carol took these pictures.