Foundation pour

The foundation crew put up forms for our poured foundation walls on Tuesday, May 12. Leah and I walked up to look Tuesday evening. Standing inside the basement-to-be, Leah thought the house looked small, but that’s normal. In my experience, a house under construction goes through stages when it looks too small or too large before it finally looks like exactly the size it is.

Late Wednesday afternoon, after the building inspector gave his OK, the concrete was poured. When I walked up to the lot around 2:30, the crew said the first concrete truck was expected around three. The pump truck was already there, idling in the middle of what will one day be our basement.

Three came and went, as did four. A little after four pm, the crew boss arrived and said the first concrete truck had overheated and had to stop at the base of the mountain, and then, after cooling for a while, overheated again about halfway up.

Every hour the pump truck was in transit or on site, even while idle, costed around $135.

It was nearly 5 pm before the first concrete truck finally arrived. The crew didn’t waste any time getting started.

foundation pour 1

In case anyone is not familiar with how these things work, the concrete truck (with the blue stripe), dumps its mix into a hopper (right behind the “TAYLOR-MADE’ logo on the pump truck). A pump then sends the concrete up the long boom and out the heavy flexible hose the worker is holding over the form.

Concrete has to be agitated in these 10-foot-deep forms to make sure there are no voids. The crew used a electric, flexible, vibrating rod powered by a generator. The motor is on the end to the right, and the business end is on the left.

foundation pour 2He dips it deep into the concrete and it does its thing.

foundation pour 3

I took some more documentary pictures, but I was ready to leave after about 45 more minutes. As long as I move, my back is fine, but if I stand around for any length of time, it starts to hurt. Standing for more than two hours was enough, so I told the crew boss I was going home. Besides, Leah had put beer in the freezer so we could have a really cold one, and I was ready for that.

Here’s a shot as I left. The boom operator has the boom controls hanging at his waist so he can stand where he can see what’s going on.

foundation pour 4Pump trucks are a life-saver for concrete pours. Without one, a concrete foundation like ours would be impractical for a typical homeowner.

The third of five trucks was waiting for me at the bottom of our driveway when I left. Leah and I were at home when we saw the last piece of equipment turn around at Wildlife Trail at around 6 pm.

The crew will come back Thursday (today) to remove the forms. Pretty soon after that, I hope, another crew will come to waterproof the foundation. Based on the estimate, the material alone would account for half the cost, and I’m not sure how easily I could get the right materials. So that’s one job I had intended to do, but won’t.

While I was waiting for the pour to start, an engineer from Georgia Power came by to talk about temporary power. I have to get someone to dig a trench for the underground service up to the temporary service post, and I have to get an electrician to get the inspection and provide some of the equipment. We’re setting the date for that around the end of the month, but I hope to get it done sooner.

Concurrent with that, I need to get a plumber to put in the drain pipe that goes below the basement slab and out to the septic system. That has to be done before the basement slab is poured, and the slab has to be poured before framing can start.

Framing is the biggest part of making a house under construction look like an actual house, so we’re looking forward to that.

 

 

5 thoughts on “Foundation pour

  1. That’s really dramatic. I’m extremely uncomfortable with heights, so it’s even more so to see the guy nonchalantly sashaying atop those foundation walls.

    I remember when the framing was finished on our house, and yes, that’s when you really feel like it’s becoming a house.

  2. Good photo documentation, Mark. Keep it up (I know you will). The waterproofing sure is critical. Our 1791 stone farmhouse built into the side of a hill has plaster over stone with little or no waterproofing in the basement, and the plaster is all turning to dust and falling off the walls. What a pain and what a mess. And, it’s ugly. I sure am glad I don’t own this house.

  3. Wayne — They seemed perfectly comfortable climbing up and walking around on the forms. I would not have been comfortable.

    Robin — They look even better with the forms off.

    Scott — I have very few pictures from the construction of the house we live in now, and I regret it. This time I’m going to make sure everything is documented, if only to make sure I remember it all. I’m still considering doing the waterproofing myself. Based on what I’ve read, I think it may be doable, and I really want to actually do some of the work myself.

    I would hate to have to waterproof an existing house. That has got to be a daunting task, especially for a basement that’s fully below grade. Ours will really amount to waterproofing about half the foundation, since only about that much is below grade. And it’s already exposed.

  4. that’s a lot of concrete. i once put a foundation under a house on a hillside, originally supported on posts on stumps and bits of nothing. took 18 yds of concrete. the first truck to arrive fell over in sight of the house. that took a while to clean up. the pump didn’t have a boom. just a long hose and remote controls. you have nice neat worksite.

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