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Driveway Work Project Details Last Updated 12/21/2005 |
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Below: We knew we had a huge
amount of concrete work to do in the summer of 2005 so we purchased a
used electric mixer to save money and so that we could control the
quality of the concrete. Ready mix is very expensive the highest
grade of cement is not offered by the ready mix companies. You can
see the mixer on the far right of the photo below. You can also
see that the foundation of the back porch has been poured (we did that
in late 2004) but not the slab. Above: Byeram with his
ever present shovel in hand. Below: Amanda, Noah, and Lucy near
the mixer and piles of stone and sand. You can see the 5 gallon
paint buckets that we filled and carried and dumped 3600 times this
summer and fall.
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Below: We have poured the slab of the back porch and the first slab of the
driveway. Behind that you can also see the sand volleyball court
that we put in for the local kids and adults. We can use it as an ice
rink in the winter. Last year we had 15 kids every Sunday
afternoon sliding and playing on our rink. They don't have skates
but they have a blast anyway.
We did the driveway in 17 pours. Usually we spent 1 day digging, forming, and getting steel, cement, sand and stone and 1 day pouring. All of the concrete work including the basement took 34 pours. We poured over 90 yards of concrete, using 500 bags of cement, 45 yards of sand, 90 yards of stone, and 1.5 kilometers of rebar. We lifted the sand, stone, and cement 5 times before it was in place. 1- move sand/stone/cement from the sand/stone/cement pile to the buckets 2- move the buckets from the pile to the mixer. 3- lift and pour into the mixer. 4- move the concrete from the mixer to the forms (in the wheel barrow). 5- shovel the concrete from the area that the wheelbarrow could reach to the area being worked on. That means we collectively
lifted and hauled about 90yards*2000lbs per yard*5= 900,000 lbs. in the
34 pours. That's 26,500 lbs on average in each pour or 5,300lbs
each during each pour! Way to go team! You can see why Lucy,
Amanda and Noah got in shape this summer. Job Descriptions of our Concrete Czars: Lucy, Amanda, and Noah: "Pile Pirate/Bucket Wrangler". Fill 4 five gallon buckets (2 with stone, 2 with sand) for each mixer load of concrete. Carry the four 40lb buckets from the pile to the mixer. Catch the empty flying bucket as it rockets from the Mix Master's hands. Repeat the process every 3 minutes. (continued below)
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Byeram: "Wheel Barrow Barron/Shovel King". Catch 200 lbs of concrete in a 20 lb wheel barrow without spilling any. Wheel barrow the concrete along slippery, wobbly, makeshift plank bridges to the forms, pour it in, shovel it to the area we are working on. Level it to prepare it for screeing. Repeat the process ever 3 minutes.
Kevin: "Mix Master/Floating Fool/Trowel Treasurer". Pour all of the buckets into the rotating mixer without getting your arms ripped off. Add cement and water to taste. Cut open the bags of cement (not your hands) with a box knife. Dump the cement from the bag to the bucket. Spit out the concrete that fills your mouth and blow the concrete dust from nose and glasses. Refill the water bucket from the leaky hose without getting your hands too wet. Dump the completed concrete into Byeram's wheel barrow while occasionally absorbing a 380 volt shock from the mixer because your hands are too wet. Float and trowel the concrete. Repeat the process every three minutes. | |
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Above. We poured the end of the driveway July 27th, the day before Byeram left to visit his wife's relatives for a month. I (Kevin) fabricated the 5 gates in August. Right: Molly and the kids pose before the finished gates. In September we began the concrete walk, patio, retaining walls, and basement ramp. See: Front for details. Below Right: The backyard after the landscaping is finished. |
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Below: nearing the street.
We were stopped for an hour or so during 3 pours due to power outages,
but most of the time we started early in the morning and finished before
the power went out.
