Down the big long lane...

[Declan52]

Whoever owns the nice new digger won't like putting the rock hammer on. They ain't good for a digger. They shake the absolute shat out of them.

That spoil will be perfect for the base of a road.

[dpmiller]

well Balloo supplied the digger and the hammer so that's their problem. Infact the stone was pretty soft and split quite nicely.

[dpmiller]

Actually, I've been told that the stone that broke out might well be marketable as it's splitting so nicely...

 

Anyways. BCO arrived late yesterday and was happy with the trenches, Terry the blockman set levels (three courses of block to the subfloor), and Paul dropped in the mesh and carried out the pour today. Four loads later and it's done. Disappeared the last of the poorly Ash trees along the fenceline too.

 

So blocks are arriving Tuesday and Terry can get up to ground level.

[Ryan85]

Nice wide workable founds for the Blockies

 

[dpmiller]

22 minutes ago, Ryan85 said:

Nice wide workable founds for the Blockies

 

Yes indeed. Blocks arrived first thing and there was no problem craning them where required either.  Corners set yesterday and two tubs delivered about a half-hour ago so after a short teabreak the two Terrys were gonna get stuck in.

[dpmiller]

Blockwork done for now, about a thousand in. All on hold for now until the steel posts come in and are fitted.

[dpmiller]

State of play:

waiting for fabricators to re-open after the silly season so we can get some steels.

 

received letter from BCO with laundry list of queries. I'll not bother itemising them here, most relate to IHP referencing RoI documents rather than our Technical Booklets, some require relabelling of detail drawings, and some are answered in the SAP document but not explicitly on the drawings.

Oh and we need to show infrastructure for high-speed internet. Uh, yup.

The only substantive issue is with chimney height and that can be dealt with by removing the fancy architect-y cast bit on top and just going with pots.

 

So I've spent a few days getting to know the oily bits of new toy

[Declan52]

Nice looking digger. Have you got a grease gun. Make sure you use plenty of it in all the joints. Plus if a track comes off you will need one.

[dpmiller]

Yes, got a gun. It's a bit loose round the banana links but everything else isn't bad. Nice selection of buckets too. I can see the rake coming in handy later.

[dpmiller]

So finally progress, the steel posts arrived this evening. Need to get'em in and thunderbolted into place and then onwards to subfloor level.

 

got the loan of a CAT last weekend and was able to map the actual positions of the water and phone lines- straight along the middle of the lane, not along the side of the field as I was told. Ho-hum.

 

Oh, and I acquired a hydraulic breaker for the Takeuchi. I *think* it's a JCB HM100Q with the hat modified for Tak/Kubota bit it works, the steel's not in bad nick and it fits so that'll do nicely.

[dpmiller]

Sitrep. Rain has been stopping play somewhat recently, but the steels are in, Quinnlites are here, and the guys are getting things filled in  ready to blind and then put the radon barrier over. BCO and blockman have a plan for levels vs DPCs etc from here up and it'll all work out nicely by the looks of it.

 

[dpmiller]

Now we're cooking. Subfloor poured today, so one row of quinnlites on their edge and we're at FFL. Provisionally looking at 3rd wek of October for the kit to arrive, scaffolder is booked on standby today, it's all moving on now.

[Declan52]

Looking good.

[dpmiller]

yes, I'm well impressed with the surface finish of the concrete. Shame to cover it all up...

[dpmiller]

Baseworks... complete.

Treatment plant... in.

 

And...relax.

 

/mutter mutter didn't get piccys of the hole in the ground and the big seam of bluestone, that little breaker had to make it's way through. Popped a hose on Thursday but did the business.

[vfrdave]

On 08/09/2018 at 09:01, dpmiller said:

Popped a hose on Thursday

Hope you didnt get covered in hydraulic oil, hate that stuff.

[dpmiller]

3 hours ago, vfrdave said:

Hope you didnt get covered in hydraulic oil, hate that stuff.

 

Thankfully not.  Hose was a pain to change though as the breaker is a JCB Quiet unit and the whole casing needs opening to get to the unions. Thankfully the throughbolts weren't *too* tight.

[dpmiller]

[dpmiller]

and we have a date for the TF. Due on site w/c 29/10.

[Guest Alphonsox]

Moving fast

 

[Declan52]

If we come round on day 3 of the frame erecting  and rap the side wall will there be any sweets going??

[dpmiller]

depends. You bringing the beer then?

[dpmiller]

Scaffolder booked, windows ordered.

[vivienz]

All looking great. How long do you think it will take the timber frame to go up?

[dpmiller]

Good question. Design isn't finalised yet so as much as I know the walls will go up quickly and the upstairs floors will be in cassette form, the roof structure is as yet undecided. The central portion of the roof will definetely be cut, but the L&R "wings" could be either cut or top-hat trusses.

 

For now I'm presuming a couple of weeks which ties in well with the 6-8 weeks lead time on the UPVC windows.

 

I'll know more when the final drawings arrive (which must mean it's time to pay some more soon...) and when Kieran visits site to inspect access etc.