Utilities Started

Today we finished forming the footings (except for the ramp into the hole) and started setting reinforcing steel (rebar) for the foundation - visible in the left of the photo. The linear rebar pieces are in place for the footing, but there are 143 vertical pieces to cut, bend, and tie in place. When the ICFs (forms) arrive there will be more horizontal bars to cut and place and tie together, but the ICFs have straps to hold the rebar in place — a big aid.This work was interrupted when the plumber arrived to run the water line under the foundations (it has to be four feet below ground here). So Eli dug a trench from the previously-installed hydrant 12’ inside the perimeter of the building. (This will rise within the garage side wall eventually, near the water heater and water softener.)

While Ray the plumber was on site we strategized about the sewer lines (which run above the footings but through the foundation stem wall). That straight, Ray raised an alternative method for building the shower that does not involve installing a separate waterproof pan. Since it would mean forming the foundation a bit differently (to form a curb around the shower floor) we needed to understand it rather soon.

This kind of coordination I find to be really helpful. Some work was transferred from the plumber to the general contractor, but overall the job would go faster and with less expense. We also coordinated exact location of the power and communications panels relative to the studs in the garage wall.

Then I called the electrician to see if we could run conduit for the power and communications — rising in the same wall as where the water will appear and laid mostly in the same trench. Those lines would enter beneath the foundation, too, so Eli scratched a groove for them in the packed rock. I had spent hours on the phone that morning determining just what size conduit was required for each of the communications vendors: cable, telephone, and fiber optic.

So about 2:30 we started to lay conduit that would come up inside the same wall as the water. A couple of hours later we had the major utilities ready to go and realized that the skid loader was trapped inside the foundation forms behind the utilities (see photo). By the way: all that 2x10 lumber you see in the forms will be re-used in the parapet wall.

Meanwhile Eli the builder had driven off to pick up his daughter from school, unaware that his equipment was trapped. He was a bit surprised when he returned, but knew we could either bend the (plastic) water pipe or cut the power conduit and repair it.

I ended up quite tired, having helped dig and fill trenches much of the day.

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