The Concrete Underground

[Dan_Mol]

I signed up pretty much just to say WOW! This is looking amazing already, love following this project.

 

[Bib Overalls]

Bridge crane! How much do you think that Oldsmobile motor weighs? I'm sure Tony lightened it up a bit with aluminum heads and intake.

 

[ConCretin]

Well it's been a couple days since I updated the thread. Progress has slowed quite a bit since I'm down to a crew of two - me and my lovely wife. Today we got some shoring up for the roof edge beams at the connector between the house and the garage.



Here's a shot of the same from the roof of the house.



We needed the materials for the connector so we removed the shoring under the house roof cantilever. The good news is that it stayed put after the supports were removed



For all my consternation, it doesn't look all that bad once all the shoring is removed



There is a smaller cantilever on the opposite corner of the roof. We finally got a look at it as well.



I had my welder in this week to connect all the garage beams to their bearing plates. I shimmed them all to grade beforehand. While he was here I had him weld some bearing seats and rods for the beam at the upper house roof.



Here's a closer shot. We'll use nuts and washers on the rods to ensure the beam is as effective in tension as it is in compression.



Here's a pic of the front of the house. You can see the beams we've hoisted into place on the upper roof that connect the steel columns to the ICF walls at each end.



I'll close with a couple beauty shots, First the view from behind.



We also stripped the shoring for the skylight in the Master Bedroom. This is a pretty good approximation of the view we'll doze off to.



Looks like it will be a couple weeks before I get my crew back so in the meantime, it will be just me and the wife. I'm going to focus on the second floor of the garage and then move on to the second floor ICF. When I get a crew back, we should be down to the final three LiteDeck placements.

 

[SiGmA_X]

Good to see progress, even if it has slowed down. Your view is just spectacular. Amazing.

 

[ConCretin]

So with the shop crane are you setting recessed pot lights or do you have room for more traditional ( for a shop ) surface mount lighting?

We used beams deep enough to allow for surface mounted lights.

I was thinking maybe a second story garage. That will exit into the backyard. There's never enough room you know.

Hmmm. No, better not. There are those who think the garage is too big already.

With all due respect...did you/your architect plan for all door openings to accommodate wheelchair access? I realize it is a sensitive subject, but reality is what it is. I am assuming of course that you plan on retiring in this masterpiece...

Thanks for the kind comments, Tony. While we didn't discuss it, the house appears to be wheelchair friendly. We do plan to live out our years in this home so we should probably think more about such things.

I assume you were doing those ICF pours in lifts, right? About 4 ft, then let it set up a bit, then come back and pour the next lift?

You are correct Jagmandave. We placed the walls in two lifts. The goal is to vibrate 6" to a foot into the previous lift but you don't want to go too deep because the ******** liquifies the concrete and increases the form pressure.

Full liquid head on an 8' wall would be 1,200 psf, which is probably more than the ICFs could take.

You make a panicked phone call for your crew, but don't chew their ***, pour the concrete yourself but don't get over excited about a blow out. That's the sign of a good and patient leader Doug, your guys follow your lead.

Thanks Nutts. That means a lot from a guy who knows what leadership is - though I think my effort pales in comparison to what you've experienced.

Bridge crane! How much do you think that Oldsmobile motor weighs? I'm sure Tony lightened it up a bit with aluminum heads and intake.

You're right Bib but I ain't getting any younger and neither is my back.


Thanks to everyone for your interest and comments. I noticed that we hit a half million views recently. Amazing.

 

[Homebody]

Wow, beautiful view from bed! Great job!

 

[Thedoc14]

SPECTACULAR Great work you and the boss are doing.

 

[ODIS]

"Thanks to everyone for your interest and comments. I noticed that we hit a half million views recently. Amazing."

A testament to your project and your ability to capture the technical and artistic form of the build. Simply beautiful in all respects.

Ody.

 

[HOTFR8]

Taking shape. Can see now with some idea what the final outcome will be.

 

[Bumknee]

A Work of Art !

Bravo

 

[Boosted1]

I love seeing the updates to this thread. Nice work.
On the subject of garage space, looks like the south end of the garage could have a natural second story entrance from the slope at the rear. What will the garage roof look like?

 

[NUTTSGT]

Well it's been a couple days since I updated the thread. Progress has slowed quite a bit since I'm down to a crew of two - me and my lovely wife. Today we got some shoring up for the roof edge beams at the connector between the house and the garage.

I'll close with a couple beauty shots, First the view from behind.

Some how I was completely disappointed with this picture.


Seriously, it's progressing quite nicely.

 

[faxij]

wow. this just keeps getting better and better. and better and better. and it was so awesome on page 1 already. people will speak of this build years after it being 'finished' (well, a house is never done as owners will know ) - wouldn't be surprised if half a million is just the beginning.

awesome progress! and frankly, LL, slow is good. if you don't mind the pun, i'd compare it to tantric ***, good fun that never ends and could go on forever and ever. take all the time you need!

great to see some progress on the garage too. those pictures kinda helped me visualise my own vision: a garage that is backfilled, with a second floor on top that has a bbq-place just outside on the backside, level with the second floor.

looks really great, still learning a lot...keep it coming and may patience / everlasting calm & energy be with you

 

[Omphaloskeptic]

"Well it's been a couple days since I updated the thread. Progress has slowed quite a bit since I'm down to a crew of two - me and my lovely wife. Today we got some shoring up for the roof edge beams at the connector between the house and the garage."


Man oh man, are you a fortunate man or what!? Being able to build a magnificent home along the river and have your wife at your side doing the labor. Along with a very special anniversary gift, you should present her with her very own (white) hardhat with her title 'SUPER Super.'.

The front cantilever is impressive; can't wait to see the 'finished' version as viewed from the entry looking across the fireplace out through the corner glass. Did your architect, Carol Wilson, put together a 'virtual walk-through' video? If so, could you post/point to it somehow. It would certainly give us here at GJ a taste of what the finished space will look like as all the pieces of the 'puzzle' fall (lol) into place. If a virtual walk-through is not available, could you possibly edit/add your complete house plans to your first post? I went searching for 'blueprint' or 'house plan' via the thread search with no luck. I keep seeing things on the job site that make me think - 'What part of the build is that again?', or - 'Am I understanding this correctly?', or - 'Huh, what is he referring to in this post?'. lol

One last question for you, how did the 'lift pit' fare this winter? Is it now the shop 'Jacuzzi' pool? lol

 

[LUV2XCLR8]

Subscribed ~ Took me almost 3 hours from
start to finish but man was it ever worth it.

Totally F'n Sick @ss Build Man, I'm Jealous!

 

[too old for this]

Just read this straight through.....I was hooked from the mushrooms!!
Inspirational build, made all the better by the injection of wit and self deprecation.You and your excellent crew have worked through conditions that would have just shut us down in the UK.We get severe weather warnings with anything over two inches of snow,with the police advising that anything other than essential travel should be abandoned..............you just shovel the s**t out of the way and build a tent!!
Long life to enjoy the culminative fruits of your labours..the glow of satisfaction you will get sitting out on the pontoon and letting the eye wander up the bank over what you have created will be immeasurable.

I am humbled and a fan.(and your willys ain't too shabby either)

 

[fastjohnny]

And a shot of the master bedroom cantilever lit by the setting sun

Awesome build and documentation.

I just shake my head that "master bedroom" has fell out of vogue, in favor of "owner's bedroom" as noted here.

 

[hippie2cams]

I am the fortunate one here, because I was able to read about the whole build so far from beginning till now in just a few days compared to the many months that it took you to get this far. A big thank you for sharing this build It is wunnaful wunnaful wunnaful. can't wait till more happens would love to see how it ends ought to be awesome. Thank you indeed!

 

[ConCretin]

Well we're still plodding along. I've been working until dark every day after work and am making slow but steady progress.

I've got the shoring pre-positioned for two more bays of LiteDeck. The shoring goes up first so you can walk on it right away once you put the billets down.



As all the angles come together, the LiteDeck needs to be cut on multiple angles as well. The foam obviously cuts easily but the internal metal supports can be a bear.



I've also got the shoring up for a couple of the interior edge beams.



I've also installed the window bucks for the perimeter beams.



More window buck



We've also been picking away at stripping all the shoring in the house. As the shoring is removed, the openness of the structure becomes more and more evident.



Given the amount of work we've put in, there seems to be less and less house to show for it. I'm hoping on a big weekend so I can get half the second floor of the garage placed next week.

 

[Bib Overalls]

Happiness is opening the Garage Gallery and finding this thread at the top of the first page with a fresh, photo intensive update. Makes my day.

 

[ConCretin]

Thanks to all for the positive comments. The fact that you guys are following the build provides some much needed motivation as I struggle along without a crew.

Some how I was completely disappointed with this picture.

I'll choose my words more carefully in the future Nutts.

Did your architect, put together a 'virtual walk-through' video? If so, could you post/point to it somehow. It would certainly give us here at GJ a taste of what the finished space will look like as all the pieces of the 'puzzle' fall (lol) into place. If a virtual walk-through is not available, could you possibly edit/add your complete house plans to your first post?

One last question for you, how did the 'lift pit' fare this winter? Is it now the shop 'Jacuzzi' pool? lol

Unfortunately, there's no virtual walk through but I would be glad to post some plans. I've promised to do so previously but just haven't found the time. I'll try to move it up a bit on the TO DO list.

The lift pit seems to have fared just fine. All in all the winter didn't take too high a toll.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I'll choose my words more carefully in the future Nutts.

Nah, my friend, it's all in some good fun. I knew you had a good sense of humor and I have to give credit where credit is due. She's a good looking lady and I have to give her mad props if she's out there working "concrete construction", living in a camper on site and evidently not worried about breaking a nail.


Back on subject, this build is getting cooler and cooler every time you update it.

 

[Omphaloskeptic]

I realize you are probably dog tired at the end of each day now that you are working two jobs, but if you find the time, could you explain just how you go about setting up the floor shoring? I'm mystified as to how you get the supports leveled and 'locked-in' prior to the placement. I would almost think you have to account for weight loading and pressure settling of the supporting structures as the pour is done.

"We've also been picking away at stripping all the shoring in the house. As the shoring is removed, the openness of the structure becomes more and more evident."

The above is quite the understatement! It looks like it's being held up by MAGIC! The view from inside looking out over the trees and river is going to be just magnificent. Watching the seasons change from the comfort of your new home is going to be well worth all those aches and pains you are subjecting yourself to now.

 

[signcrafter]

Every night when I go on GJ one of the first thing I do is go to garage gallery and scroll down until I see the only green thread in garage gallery, it's the only one I have subscribed to so it's easy to find because it's the only green one. I have followed this since the beginning and love each and every update. Thanks for sharing your amazing story with all of us!

 

[OHSCrifle]

LiteDeck is something that really has my curiosity.

Are you setting all the LiteDeck floor forms on flat shoring panels now, due to the blowout? Would you use them again?

 

[ConCretin]

A beautiful spring day in Maine. We took full advantage and worked a good long day. We got all the LiteDeck up for the next placement.



We got some help from my wife's mother's husband. He showed up at 8:00 am and didn't leave til we did at 7:30 pm



He's a 70 year old retired line worker and maintained an impressive pace all day.

When he wasn't helping me lug rebar, he was helping the wife glue down the high hats.



I did manage to get the roof beam reinforcing tied



As with most of our beams, the reinforcing consists of three #5 bars in the bottom with two #4 bars in the top. #3 stirrups are tied at 12" centers

Here's another of the roof beams



There's a lot of work under the LiteDeck as well. We pre-positioned the shoring but we had to attach the strapping to keep the billets from sliding off the beam flanges.



We need to install shoring to support the edge beams plus we need to shore the LiteDeck to keep the spans less than 5'



I'll close this update with a wide angle shot of the back of the house



The pace we're keeping is exhausting but we're making progress and that's what matters.

 

[ConCretin]

I realize you are probably dog tired at the end of each day now that you are working two jobs, but if you find the time, could you explain just how you go about setting up the floor shoring? I'm mystified as to how you get the supports leveled and 'locked-in' prior to the placement. I would almost think you have to account for weight loading and pressure settling of the supporting structures as the pour is done.

I'm always glad to respond to questions from my GJ pals. There are many proprietary shoring systems out there. We generally rent this type of equipment based on project requirements. On this job, we're using equipment from Doka.

The shoring frames are basically heavy duty staging capable of supporting 10,000 lbs per leg.



After you assemble the frames and cross braces, you use the bottom screw-jacks to plumb the frame.

You then set the upper screw-jacks to grade. You just deduct the thickness of all the framing from the bottom of concrete elevation to set the top of the U heads. In our case we have joists and girders that are 8" deep plus the thickness of the plywood.



We are using a laser to ensure our elevations are consistent.

Doka also provided some individual post shores with tri-pods to keep them upright



The post shores are also adjustable to allow them to be set to grade



In our case the loads are pretty light so the slab on grade can support the slab above without fear of deflection. We just set everything to grade and we're basically done.

As with any concrete placement however, things tend to shift. We do check and adjust the elevation of our shoring during the placement to ensure everything stays put.

I hope that answers you question, Omphaloskeptic.

 

[ConCretin]

Every night when I go on GJ one of the first thing I do is go to garage gallery and scroll down until I see the only green thread in garage gallery, it's the only one I have subscribed to so it's easy to find because it's the only green one. I have followed this since the beginning and love each and every update. Thanks for sharing your amazing story with all of us!

Wow, I'm honored signcrafter. Really glad you're enjoying the thread.

LiteDeck is something that really has my curiosity.

Are you setting all the LiteDeck floor forms on flat shoring panels now, due to the blowout? Would you use them again?

Edit; I just re-read your comment. We aren't really doing anything different with the shoring to avoid 'blow outs', just being more careful not to step into the channels.

Would I use LiteDeck again? If you want to build an elevated concrete floor, it is a great product. It uses concrete very efficiently and stays in place to provide sound and thermal insulation. It even has built in metal studs for attachment of drywall.

A better question might be; would you build elevated concrete floors for a house again? I don't regret doing it once, but I'm not sure I would go down this road again

 

[Omphaloskeptic]

Hey thanks for the explanation about your shoring. 10k #/post is pretty amazing for 'staging'.


"In our case the loads are pretty light so the slab on grade can support the slab above without fear of deflection. We just set everything to grade and we're basically done."

I smiled when I read the above statement; I've never thought of a concrete floor as a 'light load'. How did you construction guys do it before lasers came along? lol

 

[ConCretin]

I smiled when I read the above statement; I've never thought of a concrete floor as a 'light load'. How did you construction guys do it before lasers came along? lol

I guess everything is relative but the permanent structure (structural steel and perimeter walls) are picking up the majority of the load. The shoring is just helping out.

Can't remember what we used before lasers. Water levels? Sundials??

 

[saceone]

Good Ol eye balling

 

[Hugo L.]

Is it me, or in the end, the amount of material, and wood especially, used to make this concrete home is going to exceed that of a "normal" home?

 

[NUTTSGT]

I'm always glad to respond to questions from my GJ pals.

What are these yellow beams made of ? Steel, aluminum, or a wood covered product ? About how much do they weigh ?

 

[jriltex]

Found this till we hear back....http://www.doka.com/web/products/sy...components/timber-formwork-beams/index.en.php

 

[ConCretin]

Good Ol eye balling

Still do a fair amount of that.

Is it me, or in the end, the amount of material, and wood especially, used to make this concrete home is going to exceed that of a "normal" home?

Seems that way sometimes but all of the shoring material is rented and we get a lot of re-uses out of our forming lumber.

What are these yellow beams made of ? Steel, aluminum, or a wood covered product ? About how much do they weigh ?

The top and bottom flanges are basically 2x4s and the web looks like MDF (medium density fiberboard). They aren't particularly heavy - maybe a couple pounds per foot.

 

[red]

Good Ol eye balling

What I remember is water levels . . . . allegedly when they were constructing the pyramids in Egypt, they trenched out the perimeter first and diverted some of the water from the Nile River to find level. At least that's the most current theory . . . and back then there was no equipment to dig with.

 

[Justanoldguy]

and back then there was no equipment to dig with.

Not even a back hoe??
Imagine that.

 

[Bob Heine]

What I remember is water levels . . . . allegedly when they were constructing the pyramids in Egypt, they trenched out the perimeter first and diverted some of the water from the Nile River to find level. At least that's the most current theory . . . and back then there was no equipment to dig with.

Red,
Adjacent to one of the pyramids at Giza there is a checkerboard on the ground. The checkerboard is formed with a series of trenches cut in the sandstone. The trenches were filled with water and cut to the exact same depth. It is assumed that the next step would be to cut away the stone between the trenches until the whole area was perfectly level. Sometime during this process, the pyramid builders discovered a weak area in the bedrock so they abandoned this section and built the pyramid at the location shown in the back of this shot. My friend is standing on one of the raised squares but I think it shows the trench pattern (I'm a very poor photographer and this is a scan of a 1984 photo).

[/URL]

 

[Bevis]

Holy smokes...Read threw this over the past few days. I know that over enginering term quite well. I don't half *** anything either. keep the pics a coming.

 

[red]

Thanks Bob!
Been wanting to go to the Pyramids for a long time . . . definitely won't happen now, after the "Arab Spring" So what I heard or read is true about using the Nile to level the footings. It must have been a remarkable experience, saw the Mayan Ruins a few years back and it's totally amazing.