New Tractor Shed

[awemawson]

Then we set to moving earth around the shed to start the landscaping and back up the form work. It became pretty obvious early on that YET MORE LORRY LOADS OF EARTH ARE NEEDED 

Gary is on stand by for tomorrow to bring a few more in - that pile of six humps has been reduced to perhaps four or so and it goes NOWHERE 

[charadam]

Just like logs - when you stack them, half of them disappear into a black hole!

[awemawson]

Lots happening today but probably rather boring photographically as it's mostly just shifting earth around !

Firstly Gary brought another 8 wheeler in and added to the stockpile in the field, then Darren started reducing the pile by shifting it round the back of the tractor shed. The intent is to back up the form work for the concrete floor with earth temporarily to stop it flexing as the concrete is poured, and then level off to make a decently level paddock with the ground gently sloping away from the building.

However in one corner there is a huge 'hole' to fill that we expect to swallow several lorry loads on it's own, and the general level needs increasing all round to be slightly below floor level when finished.

So Darren has been going back and forth in the Telehandler with a huge bucket on the front gobbling up earth, while I've been chasing sheep and cattle out of the yard and back into the field with monotonous regularity. Daren sculpted the slope behind the Pig Palaces to create a more grass mower friendly contour so I don't have to buy a four wheel drive mower 

However Gary has been bringing in yet more loads to build the pile back up. Darren eventually won this game and at close of play the field stockpile had gone. However Gary will get his own back with more loads coming in tomorrow!

Loads of boring pictures that will probably have to straddle two posts

[awemawson]

Cont ....

[awemawson]

Tomorrow I'm away on family business, but Darren will be finalising the height of the crushed concrete for the floor prior to pouring as it seems all the re-bar and mesh is being delivered on Tuesday with the pour being on either Wednesday or Thursday 

[AdeV]

This is one beast of a project Andrew - I doubt any of us had any idea how much work's actually been involved, even now it seems somewhat other-worldly...

If it's not too rude a question, approximately what has it cost to do this project, assuming nothing goes awry as the finishing line approaches?

[awemawson]

It's no grand secret Ade, I'm hoping to bring it in under £40,000 or about £22 per square foot. At the moment that's looking a bit tight, as the concrete floor with it's steel and membrane is £10,250 inc VAT. It's ridiculously expensive for a tin shed but that's largely been dictated by the need for all structural steel work now to be CE certified thanks to the EU in Brussels. So in this case, instead of Darren welding a few RSJ's together the entire shed was made in a factory in Cheshire and shifted on lorries  200 miles south - hardly very green !

[Pete W.]

It's no grand secret Ade, I'm hoping to bring it in under £40,000 or about £22 per square foot. At the moment that's looking a bit tight, as the concrete floor with it's steel and membrane is £10,250 inc VAT. It's ridiculously expensive for a tin shed but that's largely been dictated by the need for all structural steel work now to be CE certified thanks to the EU in Brussels. So in this case, instead of Darren welding a few RSJ's together the entire shed was made in a factory in Cheshire and shifted on lorries  200 miles south - hardly very green !

 

Gulp!

Let me read that again.   Double gulp!!!!

[awemawson]

Sadly these things don't come cheaply Pete. I could have cut corners - no steel in the floor - painted rather than galvanised frame - but these things come back to haunt you later and you regret thsm 

[awemawson]

In my absence yesterday Darren moved a bit of earth around to support the form work for the  concrete base and scraped a bit inside to adjust levels, but it looks to me as though that bit is as yet unfinished.

Also in my absence Gary had brought in another 8 wheeler load of topsoil (actually quite a bit of brick in it as well but that doesn't matter) and today he brought in another two loads of rather better top soil - this makes 36 loads of soil and subsoil imported so far - approximately 720 tons 

So the Sedlescombe Alps are returning, with three 'humps' in the field awaiting distribution. Gary hopes to get another in this afternoon but not here yet (5 pm)

No Darren today as he has family business up country to attend to but hopefully he returns to site on Monday

[awemawson]

So today is the Tuesday after the Bank Holiday Weekend, and I was up early mucking out the pigs when the flooring guys arrived. Now we'd expected the steel to be delivered but had not expected that they were going to lay it!

Now Darren hadn't quite got everything ready, so a quick call (which amazingly he answered eventually!) got him out of bed and finishing off levelling and flattening inside.

While this was happening I popped out to pick up half a ton of pig food and when I got back met the steel lorry coming out of my gate  The floor was pretty much ready to take the membrane and steel - a bit of soft sand to blind a few places and they set too laying the membrane, the mesh supports and the mesh.

Then Gary came in with load 37 of soil making a current field stockpile of four heaps.

Once the floor chaps had left Darren grouted in the pillar bases, set the two roof drain gullies on concrete pads and sorted a temporary runoff for the rain we expect tonight and tommorow

Concrete is ordered for 07:30 Thursday - 6 lorry loads and a concrete pump to get it to the back of the shed.

[awemawson]

Cont ....

[awemawson]

Pouring with rain today but we had to finish preparing for tomorrows concrete pour 

Firstly we prepared the threshold strip - (80 x 80 mm angle) that gives a small lip to the front edge of the slab to stop rain being driven under the roller shutter. This was welded onto the pillars either side of the main door and continues across to the pedestrian door.

Then the wooden shuttering to flank either side of the doors was made and pegged in place. Then the shuttering and threshold strip were backed up temporarily with crushed concrete to stop them moving.

Each pillar (12 of them) were made at our request with an extra hole at mid floor level, and we hooked a length of re-bar shaped like a walking stick through these to firmly anchor the slab and pillars together.

Then finally Darren cut slots in the rear shuttering for the exits from the roof gullies and placed a short length of 110 mm pipe into them ready to connect up after the concrete is laid.

A last tidy up to make room for the six concrete lorries and pump to turn - last time we had a concrete pump here he demolished the corner of one of my Portakabins 

I've even evicted the cottage guests from their normal parking places to avoid disasters  (hopefully) when they all start rolling in tomorrow morning at 07:30

Forecast is for fine weather in the morning - let's hope they've got it right !

[Pete W.]

Hi there, Andrew,

It's all looking good though it's way out of my league!!

I was interested to see the gizmos that you've used to position your reinforcement mesh at the right level - I've never seen that type before.

I discovered the little concrete pucks just AFTER we'd poured the slab for my workshop!!          

Is your mesh strong enough to walk on while the pour is in progress?  I've been following Blancolirio's YouTube channel showing the work on the Oroville dam spillway repairs - their mesh is a big enough grid for the guys to stand one leg in each square or even to stand the whole body in one square.  I fear that the mesh in my workshop slab ended up (or should I say 'down') just resting on the membrane!!  Definitely sub-optimum!!  We'd previously put down a strip footing, stepped because of the lie of the land, and then laid 18" x 9" x 4½" concrete blocks as what one building inspector called 'permanent shuttering', one course at one end and two at the other. 

[awemawson]

Well I've been walking on it today to no ill effect to the mesh however it would be very easy to twist an ankle as the squares are almost foot sized !

[Pete W.]

Well, if it's OK for plasterers to wear stilts to do ceilings, maybe concreters should consider snow-shoes!          

[awemawson]

Or high heels in this gender neutral age 

As for the pucks - I always used to use half bricks - the Pig Palace floors used half brick mesh supports and the pigs don't seem to mind 

[PekkaNF]

I have been using plastic ones, they are pretty cheap id you buy them a bag.

http://www.talotarvike.com/images/big/raudoituskoroke_tassu.jpg

https://asiakas.kotisivukone.com/files/rtshop.fi.kotisivukone.com/.thumbs/harja1_198x.jpg

Some are that way smart than you can put mesh/rebar at two different levels.

Pekka

[awemawson]

Big day today - the floor arrives! So up early to get the animal chores done first, but not early enough - the Concrete Pump was first to arrive at 06:45 rapidly followed by the concreting gang.

First concrete lorry arrived 07:30 as booked but was a 7.5 cu M rather than the 6 cu M expected - never mind, less journey for the estimated 30 cu M that we need.

The gang was well organised  and set to with vigour - loads of pictures to follow:

[awemawson]

The day continued with the lorries arriving reasonably promptly - Hansons had two lorries on the job shuttling from the local depot, which is only three miles away).

Lots of pumping and levelling and hand trowelling of the outer skirt :

[awemawson]

And yet more pumping and levelling and trowelling !

[awemawson]

By this stage the concrete was basically in place but needed finessing.

So that was 30 cu M delivered as ordered and we had a bit left over (a dumper truck and a splodge on the floor!)

[awemawson]

As they were cleaning up and waiting for the concrete to go off enough to 'power float' a fifth (un-ordered ) lorry of concrete rolled up 

A heated 'discussion' ensued between the contractor and Hanson's local office and eventually lorry #5 left with it's tail between it's legs 

Power floating then started as did final finishing of the outer skirt

Then at about 12 noon the heavens opened and we had quite a down pour - there was much leaping about covering the bit by the doors with polythene sheeting but then it cleared up and no lasting damage has been done. They have re-trowelled the outer skirt to remove the rain marks and as I type are continuing to power float.

No point in taking more pictures until I can walk on the floor hopefully tomorrow.

[awemawson]

So it's now 4 pm and the last of the team has left. They have given the concrete a final power float polish and it's come up remarkably smooth - it looks as though water is sitting on the surface but it isn't - that's reflections off the polished surface .

Someone is back tomorrow to cut preferential crack slots into the slab and give it a spray

[PekkaNF]

Ever wonder why the power floater is called here "helicopter" Surely if amateur tries it.

Pekka