Too busy working

There has been so much work over the last two weeks.

You can really start to feel the spaces -

 *the cellar is a very large space with a high ceiling and natural light from the short windows at grade, *the "crawlspace" has a 7' high ceiling, so this will be a wonderful storage space/wine cellar, 

*the entry is large and spacious with areas for storage and direct access to the garage, 

*the living room is entirely framed and the windows are massive - 10'9 with the ceiling close to 14'

*the kitchen/dining space is framed along with the stair openings and terrace

The sidewalk shed went up once we started the bedroom level, and will remain up until the windows are installed. Jill is busy getting samples for the interiors, coordinating window types, and working on the detailed drawings for the kitchen and bathrooms. John is busy on site everyday watching every move. 

Finishing the walls of the living room/dining room
The area without brick will be wood (Ipe) - this is the stairs.

From Kitchen looking into Living room

Sidewalk shed

Lower windows for Cellar and the beginning of the Living room windows

In Living room looking towards kitchen

Brick

...if you think of Brick, for instance, and you say to Brick,

"What do you want Brick?"

And Brick says to you

"I like an Arch."

And if you say to the Brick

"Look, arches are expensive, and I can use a lentil over you.

What do you think of that?"

"Brick?"

Brick says:

"...I like an Arch"

Although the brick wants to be an arch, the semi circular form denotes an era.  Here the square dark brick (window detail) takes on a modern sharp rectangular shape.

W8x35 steel beams span over every window and door opening.

Progress is therapy

Sticks and Stones

The portion of missing dirt (between the sidewalk shoring and the concrete foundation) was finally back filled (with clean dirt).  Here, a tampering device is used the compact the soil every 18" as its dumped.  The reason for compacting is to minimize any soil erosion (over time) below the sidewalk (new sidewalks will eventually be poured).  Minimal erosion = minimal cavities = minimal sidewalk cracks

The entry level joists (3 x 10 every 12" O.C) were installed and a layer of concrete bricks served as  the fire protection and securing them in place

Now on to the exterior walls

Garage Slab

4,021 lbs., is the average weight of a car according to an archived NY Times article.  This 8" reinforced concrete slab (with #8 rebar and a W10x54 steel beam) with interior dimensions 10' x 18' (approx) can support about 12 times that weight (based on 300 lbs. per sq ft).

An aerial view (or at least from our roof) shows the finished product.

Walls Don't Rise Without Effort

After a much anticipated day, we finally poured the perimeter foundation walls.

While the weather was ideal (68-75 degrees and uninterrupted sun), the trucks were delayed at their respective plants and arrived almost an hour late.

But as soon as they arrived, the crew and boom pump truck were ready to greet them.

The concrete was slowly poured, in intervals of 4' (in height) to avoid two familiar industry disasters:

1- Segregating the course and fine aggregates,

2- Blowing out the form work when pouring a concentrated load in a small area

The top surface of the foundation wall is level to receive the first layer of block and brick.  Also, the top surface has reinforcement bars so that the concrete blocks can tie into the concrete foundation wall.

More rebar shown on top of the outer perimeter foundation wall

Placement of rebar

While they pour, I render

So as the foundation contractor is pouring concrete into the foundation wall forms this morning and afternoon, I am only able to photograph (images coming later today) from the roof, so I am working on my rendering, photoshop and collage skills.
Here is a rendering if you looked into the house.
I placed people in the rendering so that you can see the scale (or the enormous heights of the living room).

7 Concrete Trucks, 72 Cubic Yards, 297,432 lbs later...

an 18" x 20' x 60' reinforced concrete slab was all we have to show for.

But todays events took a few steps:

 

Prior to the concrete trucks arrival, a line pump showed up.

 

 

The pumps hose was connected and brought to the rear of the lot where...

 

 

the concrete was pumped out.

 

 

Concrete testing sample cylinders were taken by our consultants International Geotechnical, where the next four weeks (28 days until concrete has cured 100%) these samples will be crushed to ascertain their maximum compressive load (4,000 psi).

 

 

As of 6:35pm, the concrete sub was using a power trowel screed to attain the honed finish we expect.  TBD



When ants travel in a straight line expect rain; when they are scattered, expect fair weather

 

Although the image depicts the foundation subs scattered, within the small lots boundaries, the weather last week (with one day accumulating 4" of rain) denied us from pouring any concrete. The concrete slab (18") will have a polish finish to it and will require the use of a power screed (see image below). If rain in the forecast, the rain drops will leave dimples on top of the freshly poured concrete and will prevent the concrete from curing quickly while the screed is used.

 

 

 

Power Screed

 

With the tomorrows high of 81 and a 31% chance of precipitation, we should be able to get our concrete poured and finished correctly.  Fingers crossed!

Lots of Work in the Big Hole

20' lengths of rebar are delivered

Locking the front gate after the excavator leaves

Panoramic after everyone left

Rebar over the vapor barrier

John supervising

It keeps on trucking...

No Spring Break this week. The foundation crew is busy digging and drilling. The steel soldier piers will be done today, and the lagging (the wood that will span between the vertical steel w-sections) arrived at 7:30 this morning. This will create a wall around the site to keep the sidewalk and our back yard from caving into the site. Next door, we have been feeling the drilling and rumbling of the work.
This is a drawing for the sidewalk shoring/soldier piles.

Elevation/Vertical Section

Plan at Corner

Soldier Piles

During the first phase of excavation, the sidewalk must be "shored". This is done by placing very large steel W sections "piles" over 20' down every 5-6' around the perimeter. Each hole for each pile must be drilled and then raised vertically and placed in the holes. This is a new procedure, as when we built our houses, we were allowed to pound them into the ground.

And we found a hidden treasure - an old Empire Brewery Bottle

Construction Fence

So after a long winter, the fence is up - it is painted NYC Department of Building green, and has a few openings to look through as you walk by.
Also there is an elevation of the Pacific Street on the construction fence.

The surveyors were also out on Friday afternoon and staked out the foundation.