The Foundation

During the last two weeks the dirt pad on which the workers will build our house has stood quiet, undisturbed for the most part.  The next phase of constructing the foundation could not begin until there was forecast to be a series of dry days. In wet conditions it is difficult, but not impossible, to place the boards which outline the concrete foundation.  But, it would have created serious problems if, after digging the holes for piers under the foundation, it had begun to rain.  Thus, not much has happened for the last two weeks while it has rained several times - every couple of days.  That is just a part of building a house in Texas during the winter.  The good news is the lake needs the rain to raise its level.

That's not to say nothing has happened.  The local water company did an outstanding job of having the utilities located and marked with colored flags (for electricity and telephone) and installing their water meter at the front of the property.

We were told that it usually takes several weeks and should plan well in advance of when the plumbers would need it.  I ordered the service on February 21st, the utilities were marked on February 25th, and the meter was installed on the 27th.

When there's nothing else to blog about, the simplest things can be noteworthy. 

We were told the real work would commence on Monday, but then the winds came.  We had gusts up to 30 miles per hour and the Porta Potty which I had asked the provider to stake down didn't make it through the day unscathed.  Luckily it had just been serviced with clean "blue" water when it toppled and drained into the ditch.  Brenda and I bought a pair of T-posts Tuesday enroute to the Temple and I installed them early Wednesday morning.  Then I attached a strap across the top to secure it against any future mishap.

On Wednesday morning the wind was still quite strong so the construction crew postponed placing the form boards and marking the pier locations until afternoon. By then it had calmed down enough for them to begin.

I think it is fascinating to watch them work.  They use a laser transit to generate a level, invisible plane of laser light.  Then they use a measuring stick with a receiver attached to indicate when the string is level.  They carefully measure from the side lot line to ensure the walls will be square and sufficiently off the property line.

Digging into the Select Fill dirt is relatively easy, so minor adjustments can be made.  After each form board is placed it is anchored into position with numerous stakes nailed into the board.  As they have worked their way around the house, it is interesting to see the various rooms and niches take shape.

I know they are professionals and don't need my help, but I own a fancy orange measuring wheel and need to use it, so I do so as often as I think I can get away with it. In this photograph one can see some of the strings used to layout the centerlines of the piers, which are then marked with small orange flags.

The foundation is going to be supported by a grid of precisely placed concrete piers, or columns.  Each column is constructed in a hole, 14 inches in diameter and 15 feet deep.  The bottom of the hole is flared out to 24 inches in diameter by a bell tool.  Again, the drilling process was interesting to watch.

The drilling rig (there were two in use by late afternoon) is backed into position above the orange marking flags.  The operators are quite adept at maneuvering it precisely.  They go about their work with no talking because they could hardly be heard above the noise.  The rig is powered by a large diesel engine and the auger and leveling struts make lots of racket.  Another man works on the ground at the bore site, clearing away the dirt to keep it from falling back into the hole.  Occasionally they add water to aid in the digging and to help bind the dirt as it is extracted.

In this photograph one can see the auger (drilling bit) standing on the ground next to the bell tool as the ground worker cleans out the bell tool.  I couldn't help but notice the mess they made on the previously clean, flat dirt pad.  

Here is the finished hole ready for rebar steel and concrete.

We've continued to collect progress photos from the same location near the front of the lot.  This shot was taken late in the day, facing into the sun, which I know would cause it to lose most of its detail.  Still, it shows the steel and tubes used to dress the tops of each column, the drilling rig and the result of another day of work on our house.  It will be in our time-lapsed video when the house is completed.