Observatory Construction Blog - page 3

Mid-thirties and the wind is 25mph, gusting to 40mph. Really defines wind chill. It's a little more pleasant by mid-morning. Austin levels up the joists while I install the rebar cage and ready the bolt template. Since we can't get a Mini-Crete truck in back because the ground is still too soft, we'll pick up some premix in a trailer and wheelbarrow the concrete to the back. (Well, maybe Austin will do the wheelbarrowing while I lend morale & support.)

Here are pics of the template with the pier anchor bolts.

Austin comes through again, he da' man! Wheelbarrows that stuff around back and even levels it off, AMAZING.

The pier base and the foundation footings have been poured, that leaves installing the template. Reattached the orientation strings and placed the template into the concrete (using two 2x2 boards to maintain height) while carefully aligning to north-south. The wind is still howling and the temp is dropping, so we piled some bricks on top to hold the template in place until next weekend. Maybe the concrete will have setup by then.........