Lower Level Concrete Pour Successful
An army of concrete trucks descended on 60 Bragg Hill today to deliver over 70 cubic yards concrete. The number six slump concrete was pumped from the eight concrete trucks into a giant pump supplied by Forcine Concrete. The concrete, mixed with fly ash and warm water was carefully delivered inside the ICf sandwich that will ultimately define the complete wall system for our home. This is a time-critical task that requires careful planning, clear communication and a top notch crew.
The ICF walls, are carefully prepped and infused with the required rebar to assure the structural integrity once the concrete is cured. Braces and other structural support is required to stabilize the walls during the pour. The M.W. Thompson crew carefully applied the concrete pump into the ICF walls and made many passes around the perimeter of the home filling only about 16 inches of concrete at each pass. This enables the concrete to be applied inside the hollow ICF walls with equal distribution ensuring that the walls stay true during the critical hours of the pour. The methodology also allows for better access for the crew to apply the required vibration and agitation to the concrete to promote proper settling.
It is a noisy process too. Because of that, clear hand signals are worked out in advance between the construction team, concrete pump operator and concrete truck drivers. Exact placement of the concrete is critical so clear communication to start, stop and move the concrete delivery hose is a priority.
A comprehensive photo gallery of this event can be seen in the Lower Level Pour slide show section.
Time lapse sequence of a wall section being filled with concrete.