The Concrete Underground

[-Brent-]

Love the progress. Thanks for documenting this so well.

 

[ConCretin]

After a long Memorial Day weekend and a rainy Tuesday, we got back to work. Started the day by backfilling the site retaining wall

Finish grade on the upper side will be to top of wall. Grade in front is about 5' down. You can see the depression that will receive the stone veneer.

We also got started on stripping the basement pour we did on Friday. All in all, it came out pretty good. The strip below the architectural concrete will receive the same band of stone veneer as the retaining wall.

A short section of retaining wall stubs out on the opposite side of the foundation from the site retaining wall. Here's a look at the 'cap' detail.

meanwhile, we got a jump on the wall that forms the front corner of the gallery. This wall extend up above finish floor and is capped with a concrete bench to guard the edge, which results in 14' of formwork.

Here's a view from the opposite side. you can see where the stairs down to the dock path will run in the lower left.

This placement will tie the foundation, stairs and site retaining wall together. Hopefully all the parts and pieces will begin to make sense.

 

[ODIS]

Always look forward to the up-dates. Thanks again for your efforts.

Ody.

 

[Lurking in Maine]

Subscribed! My grandparents used to live in Richmond and I'm from Skowhegan originally. I know the Kennebec well. Looks like an awesome build you've got going! Looking forward to seeing the progress.

 

[Thedoc14]

The backdrop for your flag, taken from the dock looking up the stairs is Amazing. Picture perfect......

 

[flybefree]

Man, it is awesome to see just how your team is doing this...very educational. Thanks again.

Shaun

 

[ConCretin]

The guys got started on the architectural details for the next wall placement.

We decided to extend the length of the placement to avoid a construction joint in the architectural concrete. This required us to do a little additional excavation and extend the footing. We'll get it placed today.

This wall forms the gallery that runs the length of the house - you can see it to the left of the staircase on the model.

You can also see the blue water lines from the geothermal wells that we ran down the back of the site retaining wall excavation. They'll eventually make their way into the basement where the heat pumps are located.

We have a lot of footing steps as we chase finish grade around the site to maintain 4' minimum frost cover - we're actually shooting for at least 4'6".

Finally got the waterproofing crew out to spray the garage foundation. They start by sealing the tie holes and placing a fiberglass type strip over the construction joints to allow for any future movement

The first thing the operator does is turn the gun sideways and build up a cant at the base of the wall.

Then he sprays the rest of the wall. They work from the bottom up because the material is activated by salt water and they don't want it to run down on areas they haven't sprayed yet. The material is dry to the touch in seconds

Just an aside about the uncapped rebar. It is way too high for anyone to fall on it. We'll be sure to cap it before we backfill.

Here's the back of the garage all sprayed. When they come back to do the basement, they'll be able to work off the backfill to finish the top of the wall.

The four sleeves you can see at the top of the wall at the extended step is where the underground electrical comes in.

Kind of hard to see but the last step is to tack on the drainage board. Its a corrugated plastic sheet with a filter fabric applied to it that allows any water bouncing off the waterproofing to run down it.

Now we can run the under drain, connect the sanitary lines, complete the underground electrical and get the garage backfilled. Finally.

 

[automobiliben]

Been following along and enjoying this!

Thanks for the detailed explanation and narratives! Makes it fun to follow along!

 

[ConCretin]

Love the progress. Thanks for documenting this so well.

Always look forward to the up-dates. Thanks again for your efforts.

Ody.

Man, it is awesome to see just how your team is doing this...very educational. Thanks again.

Shaun

Been following along and enjoying this!

Thanks for the detailed explanation and narratives! Makes it fun to follow along!

Thanks everyone. As long as folks are enjoying it, I'll keep on doin it. I'm getting a kick out of documenting the process myself.

 

[ConCretin]

Subscribed! My grandparents used to live in Richmond and I'm from Skowhegan originally. I know the Kennebec well. Looks like an awesome build you've got going! Looking forward to seeing the progress.

Thanks. Richmond is a great little town with a fantastic waterfront. I assume from your moniker that your still here in Maine?

 

[PrecisionTools]

Yep, keep it coming. Thanks for posting it all up...interesting to see how the pros do it.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I see the waterproofing guys snapped chalk lines as a guide instead of the "about that high" method, very professional.

 

[mrgm]

very cool stuff here. is that water proofing the same stuff in the can they sell on tv. .

how many geo wells will you need?

 

[Thedoc14]

Great work keep the documentary coming I love this build and the detail you are sharing.

What is the name of the product they are spraying, I am amazed you dont add a bitument layer as well. I have to do something similar in my Garage so I am interested in the product. I have the eggshell drainage board, just need to cote the block wall.


Thanks,
Nick.

 

[Shoottx]

Yup

Enjoying

Keep documenting and posting pictures!

 

[tinbender 66]

Don't stop!! This is one of my favorite threads! I find it totally fascinating.

 

[Boosted1]

Nice update / progress. Looking forward to seeing more.

 

[jimmie jam]

"Quality does not cost more, it just lasts longer". What a great thread. Beautiful build!

 

[ConCretin]

I'm a little late posting Friday's progress but here goes. We placed the footing extension for the next section of wall as planned. Like any good concrete crew on a Friday afternoon, they were tying rebar at one end while concrete was going in on the other.

Probably more men than necessary for a little footing but it was all that stood between them and the weekend.

The basement wall is pretty well closed. We have installed a number of sleeves and bond-outs for sanitary lines, electrical, secret tunnels, etc.

Well they're not actually secret tunnels - they are crawl spaces that run around the perimeter of the frost wall/slab on grade part of the house to run ductwork.

Kind of unusual but it's a workable solution. The concrete structure and flat roofs leaves no voids to run pipes, ducts, etc. We have to carefully plan ahead to make sure we have a way to get everything where it needs to go.

The crawl spaces will have a concrete slab and 4' wall to the inside. We'll lay metal deck over the top and pour the slab on grade over the them. I'll just need some tiny little tin knockers to fit in there.

 

[Mr onetwo]

[QUOTE/]The crawlspaces will have a concrete slab and 4' wall to the inside. We'll lay metal deck over the top and pour the slab on grade over the them. I'll just need some tiny little tin knockers to fit in there.[/QUOTE]

I know some tiny tinknockers.Their shop is right next to Santa's and they work for candy canes and Jamison!

 

[Lurking in Maine]

Thanks. Richmond is a great little town with a fantastic waterfront. I assume from your moniker that your still here in Maine?

Yes in Standish for the last 20 yrs.

In the middle of my own build, that is how I happened onto this site.

I hope all this rain hasn't set you back too much!!

I love your build and the documentation

 

[ConCretin]

Yes in Standish for the last 20 yrs.

In the middle of my own build, that is how I happened onto this site.

I hope all this rain hasn't set you back too much!!

First off, where are the pics of your build?? Whattaya buildin?

All the damn rain is a major pain. Every excavation is full of water and we'll be at least a day getting back on track. The forecast isn't all that great either.

The river is flooding tonight and I'm hoping I still have a dock and boat in the morning.

 

[Lurking in Maine]

Ha! Funny you should ask. I figured after I had told you that, I'd better post some pics. I just started a thread tonight with my build. I am a little late to the party, as I am already at the sheetrock stage, but I will post pics from the begining none the less.

It is a 24x32 attached garage with finished second floor, a 12x12 breezeway and an exterior facelift on existing home.

Yes this rain is something else. I hope your dock and boat survive the storm, at least the wind has died down.

 

[ConCretin]

With all due respect to those who actually experience monsoons, we having as close as we get to one. It's rained buckets for two days straight. Not to be dissuaded, the guys built a tent and managed to stand some formwork on the footing we placed Friday.

We finished stripping the forms from the previous basement pour. You can see where the stone veneer will return into the door frame.

I also got started on the sanitary lines from the garage bath and guest quarters above the garage.

The real excitement however was down on the riverbank where we were experiencing a good old fashioned flood. Remember this pic?

This is what it looked like today

I more or less guessed at the height of the bottom landing and got it about right. The gangway was about level at the high water mark. Any lower and it would probably have bound up and been damaged.

I've spent a couple nervous days and nights wondering whether the dock and boats would end up in the Atlantic ocean but so far, everything is working fine thanks to some strategic rigging. The pictures don't convey the power of all the water rushing through.

 

[-Brent-]

Good guess on the landing height!

What's the other mount for on the landing, stairs?

 

[kbbrett]

Who built your gangway?


Nice looking build.

Brett Alexander

 

[theoldwizard1]

I've spent a couple nervous days and nights wondering whether the dock and boats would end up in the Atlantic ocean but so far, everything is working fine thanks to some strategic rigging. The pictures don't convey the power of all the water rushing through.

I certainly hope you researched your dock and mooring design as well as you did the rest of the build. Moving water has amazing power ! You might want to think about a second anchor block !

Do you get ice in that river ?

I have seen docks on some rivers in MI that are cantilevered out from the shore and then a set of cables is attached from stout poles (like short telephone poles) on shore out to the end of the dock. Obvious not a long dock, but nothing touches the water. Mooring (small boats only) is done with the bow pointing upstream and chained to a large anchor block.

Every couple of years you need to do a thorough inspection of each link in the chain and all attachment points for wear.

 

[Justanoldguy]

Re ice: He is to lift the gangway out each winter as previously discussed.

 

[theoldwizard1]

The barge is owned by a local contractor who built most of the dock components and whom I hired to help me install the dock. He lashed all three floats and the gangway to his barge and headed up river.

So what does all this have to do with the garage - probably not much - but it was a big day for my wife and me so I wanted to share it with my GJ friends. When we bought this land a decade ago, we dreamed of the dock we'd build here someday. It was the reason we wanted to live here. Today was the culmination of that dream.

My dream, like yours, is a place "on the water". Nothing better to start the day than a cup of coffee and looking out over the water. Likewise, ending the with your favorite adult beverage watching the water.


Those float section look like they have a lot of exposed flat area to the current. I hope your marine contractor has a lot of experience building docks on that river.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Re ice: He is to lift the gangway out each winter as previously discussed.

I missed that.

 

[ConCretin]

I see the waterproofing guys snapped chalk lines as a guide instead of the "about that high" method, very professional.

They are a very professional crew but in truth, I snapped the lines. The grading plan is complicated and seeing black above grade bugs the hell out of me.

very cool stuff here. is that water proofing the same stuff in the can they sell on tv. .

how many geo wells will you need?

I thought about using the stuff that comes in spray cans but that's a lot of cans.

We have two wells. We're pumping out of one and back into the other.

What is the name of the product they are spraying, I am amazed you dont add a bitument layer as well. I have to do something similar in my Garage so I am interested in the product.

It's a product by a company called E-Pro. To be honest, I don't know a lot about it. My business partner runs that part of the company.

Good guess on the landing height!

What's the other mount for on the landing, stairs?

You guessed correctly - the second bracket is for a future staircase

Who built your gangway?

A local fabricator who does it on the side. PM me if you want contact info.

I certainly hope you researched your dock and mooring design as well as you did the rest of the build. Moving water has amazing power ! You might want to think about a second anchor block.

The dock is anchored by two submerged 2000 lb anchor blocks on the outboard end and two huge rocks the shore side with 4 crossed 5/16" chains. I added some scope to the outboard chains to adjust for the increased water depth but otherwise the dock hardly moved even after I unpinned the gangway to prevent binding.

My dream, like yours, is a place "on the water". Nothing better to start the day than a cup of coffee and looking out over the water. Likewise, ending the with your favorite adult beverage watching the water.

Those float section look like they have a lot of exposed flat area to the current. I hope your marine contractor has a lot of experience building docks on that river.

I can't wait to wander down to the dock with an early morning coffee though I have to admit that it has already been christened with an afternoon cocktail or two.

The guy that built the dock is a local who has dozens of docks on the river. He's an old salty Mainer that called a couple times today to make sure we were OK. Ya gotta love guys like that.

 

[danallen]

This is going to be a truely amazing home when it's finished.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Hey, no better way than to test the dock's holding power right off the bat.

Any chance to see a comparison picture for across the river (post#429) and currently with the river up ?

 

[SuperSocket]

You must be happy to get the flood now rather than when you had just poured those pillars.

 

[ConCretin]

Any chance to see a comparison picture for across the river (post#429) and currently with the river up ?

Here ya go Nutts.

The large craft on the right is a buddy's boat. He was concerned docks at his marina were going to break loose so he put his boat on my mooring.

Not much of interest to show on the construction. We're slogging around in the mud and trying to get the next placement ready. Hope to pour Thursday.

 

[Lurking in Maine]

Wow you can really see how much the river came up with the comparison shot!

Good to see your boat isn't washing up on Popham beach

 

[randomtwinkie]

Which way does the current flow in the across the river pictures? Great Build btw. The concrete process is very intriguing and i'm enjoying following along!

 

[Justanoldguy]

Which way does the current flow in the across the river pictures?

Looking at the anchored big boat I would say it flowed left to right.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Here ya go Nutts.

Wow, if you never saw the before serious rainfall pics, those would look normal. How far is the river up in those pics, about 8' ?


Even with the high water it still looks damn good.

 

[Thedoc14]

How did you connect him to your mooring, was the buoy all ready there or did somebody go skinny dipping...

So what sort of rainfall did you get and for how long to raise the river that much.