That's a Lot of Steel

 

The month of July was a very busy month for us and for the contractors building our home. Scott and I had been "moving by Mini," making many round trip runs to Astoria with the boot packed to the roof with items that weren't going into storage. The advantage of these day runs was that we were able to stop by the house and see the progress! On one such run, I think on a Saturday, we were greeted by the scene above... forms for the grade beams!

The following week Alex and his crew - mostly his sons aged ten or eleven years to early twenties, and some old hands - placed the rebar in the forms. From a layman point of view it seems that the core physical difference between grade beams and foundations is the size and sheer amount of rebar contained within them. (I know, they do different things...)

One of the pilings, at the center of the foundation, had been driven in about a foot from its intended location, but still within the boundary of the grade beam. In order accommodate the misplacement and ensure the strength of the grade beam, even more rebar was employed near the misplaced piling. You can see the extra rebar down the center of the photo above.

Cement was poured using a very large cement pump. We're told that the grade beams used three cement mixer trucks worth of concrete. There is a lot of rebar coming out of the grade beams which will tie the foundation to the grade beams. 

In addition, there are quite a few stainless steel threaded rods ranging in length from 3 feet to 12 feet depending on their placement along the foundation walls. These rods are tied into the grade beams and will go through the foundation and become hold downs for the framing. I don't think this place is going anywhere!