Ok, not sure how much will get done today.    Benchmarks have been marked, along with the elevations needed from the "prints".    Site "map" page says the east front corner will be 75'5" from the water meter out at the curb.   Pull the tape.   One end( the dummy end) is held on the mark.   Other end, and a paint can go out to the distance needed.    Spray paint an arc on the ground.    Repeat from the next benchmark.   Next, we need to go about 70' between the two arcs, mark another arc.   Go another 30' from there to mark the back corners.  And measure out 70'  between them.    Roughly square right now.  Need to set up batter boards a little beyond where the marks cross.    Three 2x4 stakes, driven into the ground with the third stake at a right angle to the middle stake.    We add the "offset" to the figures. measure again.  Add a nail to a 2x4 crossmember between the stakes.    Label each nail as to which is which on the plan's measurements.  

 

We can use the elevations in the prints, to tell the trackhoe fellow how far down to dig.   Painted lines on the ground will tell him where.     Set up a laser level and the "stick"   set up to show grade we want to reach.  

 

Once he has the bulk of the dirt/topcover removed, we can then reset to dig a 2' wide, by 12" deep trench around the edges of the dig.   Dig was widened to allow work done on the outside of the foundation.  We run a string line from the boards showing outside of footer.   More painted lines.    Use either a builder's level, or just a 4' level and a 2x4, to mark the footer trench locations.    Trackhoe to dig the trench, laser level to check how deep.  The fellow with the stick also has a shovel.    Trackhoes are very messy diggers, so the stick guy does the "crumb" work.    All loose chunks (crumbs) have to be gone.    Inspector will check for them when they come around.   Once all of this is down, and the trackhoe leaves, we get to do a footer pour.

 

Ok, print calls for 3 rebars running the length of the trench.    We used "chairs" to hold the three #4 bar up off the ground.   Cut a bunch of 18" long #4 bars, these will go across the first three, to hold them in place.  Why not a 2' length?     You don't want the rebar to stick out of the concrete.   Rebar would then rust, and burn it's way into the concrete.  Chairs are brick like concrete blocks.   A whack with a hammer will crack them in two.   One half under each end of the cross member being used as a chair.    IF the print called for uprights, these would be tied in place at the center point of the wall.   Tied under the three long rebars.   The "leg" of these "L" shaped bars usually  go towards the outside of the footer.    prints will show which wyt they were to go.    A single 20'  #4 bar to keep them from falling over.    We'd add a 2x4 across the trench and staple the #4 bar near rhe middle of the wall-to-be.    Maybe every few feet or so.   Also going in the trench, would be grade stakes.    Usually short bits of rebar, driven into the ground until the tops are at top of footer.   Checked with the laser level.    DO NOT just use a 4' level going pin to pin, too many errors creep into things. 

 

Concrete is on the way!   Usually a wet #4 slump.     You want the stuff to flow along the trench.   A 4000 High early was called for.    Rakes to moosh it almost flat.  then crawl along with a "mag float" to smooth it out.   Does not need to be a slick finish.    If a water stop had been called out in the print, a ribbed rubber strip would have been tied off to the uprights.    You want 1/2 of the water stop below the top of the pour.

A handle is attached to a boat float.     Just a 12" long piece of 2x4, with both faces and the ends beveled.     This goes along the top of the footer pour.   Usually right along the other side of the uprights from the water stop.   Called a "dovetail"    this is where the next pour will "lock" into. 

 

Spent the rest of the afternoon, setting out wall forms, and other hardware for them.   maybe oil the forms up?  No rain that night?  Oil them up.  One less step to do in the morning.   Clean the tools used in placing the concrete, put them away.   Let the site sit til the next morning.  Rebar stakes around the hole, string the yellow caution tape out.    day is done.

 

Load your tools up, and do the BEER RUN.   Stay tuned,  next chapter is coming up...... 

"Rain Day" delay today.    Painter is coming today to paint the room the computer center is in.    Might be off-line for awhile today.    Will resume later, after the paint fumes clear out.   Kind of hard to mark wall lines on wet concrete, anyway.   

Sounds like a good day's work. In the 40's and 50's we were using wooden forms. The standard form was 8' tall and 30" wide.built from plywood, framed with 2X4's and a 4X4 running vertically at the center of the form with Holes drilled in the 4X4 to accomadate the metal tie rods.  We obviously had various other sizes to accomadate building dimensions. We oiled the forms after every three pours, which seemed to work well, for easy removal without damage to the poured concrete. All of our location and elevation sightings were done using a transit. If my recall is right, I believe we installed footers 18" wide X 12 deep unless otherwise specified, We normally worked with a crew of 5 men. The obvious inspection was required before porting the footer. I enjoyed this work as a teen. Great muscle building work.

The rainy day gives the footer an extra day to set, minimizing any chance of doing damage to it.

 I'm ready for tomorrow. Steve

Edited November 7, 20169 yr by It Was Al B