Knotwyrk Farm

[DocHeb]

After six months of permit nightmares, we're now the proud owners of a hole in the ground and basement walls that were poured 2/11. I've heard of concrete pumpers, but this is the first time I've been near one in action. It pumped the concrete as fast as the cement trucks could deliver it.

 

[DocHeb]

The site allows a walkout, so the downhill wall will be framed with 2x6s

 

[Buck]

Doc,

I can't envision yet the final architecture. Is it a ranch? How many square feet?

Very, very nice lot!

Buck

 

[RobS]

Looks good DH, I hope to take a similar picture next week /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[DocHeb]

It will be a 2200 sq ft ranch, 5/12 pitch hip roofs, and a walkout basement. Pretty simple architecture. I don't have an exterior elevation drawing in a scannable size to attach. After reading the posts on this board for 9 months, I also asked the architect to give me 9 foot garage doors so I won't need a foldable ROPS.

 

[Buck]

Sounds like my dream home. That roof, I think, will make all the difference.

Buck

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

DocHeb

Gosh I'm glad you got that picture. They pumped my cement too, but I never got the chance to see it.

SHF

 

[DocHeb]

What was really cool was how the boom was controlled. The guy standing on the dirtpile in the background has a radio controlled remote slung around his neck with a joystick on it and all the controls to run the boom and pump. He stands somewhere he can see everything and runs the entire truck from there.

 

[MarkV]

DocHeb,

I remember the day they pumped our foundation. It was a great day because after all the planning and waiting it was finally started. Those are amazing machines. Did the foundation crew hold on to the rubber tube at the bottom and ride from form to form? My wife thought that looked like fun until I told her I would see if the operator would let her try it on level ground./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif The exciting part of our pour was when one of the concrete trucks snapped a rear axle trying to back up the hill. Like most concrete trucks he had two rear drive axles but could not make it up on the one that was left. This left a real void in the pour schedule and everyone was worried. You cannot let to much time pass between trucks or you create a weak section in the wall.

Glad to see you are up and building. Hope you will give us regular progress reports.

MarkV

 

[njrqs]

Yes those pumps are a great thing indeed. They are used extensively over here in commercial construction.

They add about $30/m3 to the cost of the concrete but you save in labour in getting the stuff in using barrows or something.

They use a BIG !! version in high rise buildings and just keep on adding more and more outlets until the concrete gets pumped all the way to the top.

Boy there must be some pressure in that sucker at the base of the tube !!

Cheers

 

[Thomas]

Glad your dreams are coming true for you and your wife. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Start a photo ablum..scrape book and take alot of pictures for the years to come.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I just saw your new signature... very sharp...


Just an idea... on page one put a different picture than page two... /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

Did they just decide to bring the truck or did they tell you ahead of time they would need it? They told me they would need the truck or I would have to build ramps for a regular truck to back up. The pumper added about $750.00 to the cost. Ramps would have been steeper! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif Sorry, couldn't help the bad pun. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

SHF

 

[MikePA]

Here 'tis.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

That looks great Mike...

Someday... I'll find some time to learn to do that...

Thanks... /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[njrqs]

Wow

Mike you are one smick hand at those signatures.

John - Mike set mine up for me, so I can't take one scrap of credit for it, as slick as it is !!!!!

So mike, every time you change it, I don't have to do anything do I??


Love it !!!!!

Cheers from Down Under.

PS - I am about 1000 miles from Sydney so don't get too excited. I am closer to the desert than the Big Smoke !!!

Cheers

 

[njrqs]

Nope, I guess I have to manually update it each time.

Cheers

 

[DocHeb]

Since the house is built into the side of the hill it would be really hard to maneuver the cement trucks around, yet still have the foundation be downhill for the cement to flow. I've seen some pretty long extension chutes run off cement trucks, but that is more work and slower pouring. I'm sure my builder used the pump since in the long run it would be cheaper.

This is the first year I can remember that the ground hasn't been frozen in February, and most of the lakes in Southeast Michigan aren't frozen over. There were some significant ruts made in the "temporary" driveway, and the mud would make the hillside driving even more difficult.

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

DocHeb

We got the same thing up here in NW Michigan. They poured my barn slab last November and the drive is still torn up. The cement truck got stuck, so the contractor used his backhoe to try to pull the truck out, but got the hoe stuck too. An hour and a half later, another cement truck pulled them out. The drive gets better for a week or two and then thaws out again and it's back to the slop.

Another advantage to the pump truck is (according to my cement guys) the water level is raised slightly to enable a better flow and apparently is nearer to an "optimum" water/cement mix for pouring, since they are better able to vibrate the forms and settle the mix. (or, at least that's what they told me to sell me on the idea.)

SHF

 

[njrqs]

Yep a wet mix is easier to place for the concretors.

Normally there is only a certain amount of water allowed, but when pumping, the concrete is wetter so they love it !!

Cheers