We're Pouring Concrete!

 

The past several weeks have been spent digging the footings for the foundation and putting the rebar in place so that we could pour concrete.  This week we poured the concrete for the footings and it was quite the production! 

 

 

It takes quite a few construction workers to get the concrete where it's supposed to go. In order to get the "mud" (that's what they call the wet concrete mix) to where it's needed, a large pumping truck arrives at the site and sets up in a location where its articulating arm can reach a majority of the building's footprint.  The arm is similar to a boom lift that articulates out to its full length.  American Concrete Pumping provided that service for our project.  You can see their pumping truck in the photo at the top. 

 

Concrete gets delivered in a concrete truck that keeps the concrete mix circulating so that it doesn't dry out and harden before delivery.  We had our concrete delivered by Shasta Redi-Mix. The "mud" gets poured from the concrete truck into the pumping truck. 

 

The concrete mix then gets pumped up the arm through a cylinder where it is guided into the pre-dug trenches that have rebar in place to help give the dried concrete additional strength.  A lot of work went into creating the rebar layout in all the trenches.  All that time and effort went into work that no one will ever see!

 

So, what are all those workers in the video above doing?  Well, let me identify their roles based on this photo.  Starting with the gentleman on the right in the lime green shirt, he's positioning the cylinder that the cement comes out of and making sure the correct amount goes into the trench.  Everyone else works off of what he is doing.  The worker to his left (bending down) makes sure the concrete is in the trench and that the rebar extending outside the trench is still in place before the cement dries.  The next worker is using a tool that he pushes into the mud to vibrate out any air bubbles below the concrete surface.  The gentleman holding the tall measuring stick is making sure that the concrete is at the level it was surveyed to be at.  Finally, the worker with the red shirt smooths the concrete so that it is level with the existing surface.

 

  

The crew will be working next to dig the trenches where the underground utilities will be put. The digging and installing will take several weeks then more concrete will be poured.  Once all underground work is completed then the concrete for the foundation can be poured.  You should start seeing steel columns secured to the foundation next month.  That is when the Center of Hope will truly start to take shape!

 

A big thank you to Shasta Redi-Mix and American Concrete Pumping for getting the mud into the ground!