As many of you have been waiting, and want to know what is going on, we are going to be providing pictures as the process unfolds.
Week of April 8th, 2013
We finally received the building permits from Yavapai County on Monday, which turned out to be a really windy day. Construction was
started on Tuesday.
The first item to be dug is the main tower foundation. It is 21 feet square by about 4 feet deep. This will hold the 90 foot tower.
We hit solid rock on Wednesday, and heavier equipment was brought in to break up the rock and allow us to dig down the required depth.
Finally have the "big hole" down to the size that is needed.
We begin "Shoring it up" by making the walls.
Next will be to install the structural "Rebar" for the concrete.
On Friday, I brought up a trailer full of rebar to the site.
As you can see in this picture, we lost a tire on the trailer on the way up there.
Discussion of where the exact location of the equipment building will be placed.
Still lots to be done, as Gordon Acri, of ACT Contracting, and I discuss it.
Weather this week will also be a factor as we are to get high winds in again on Tuesday.
Besides the construction of the 3 radio sites we are working on, there is much behind the scenes that you don't see !
Here is a picture of the roof of the downtown Phoenix building that we are on, showing the microwave dishes that
will bring the "high speed internet" all the way up to Yarnell Hill. This is where everything starts and we connect
to the world wide web by way of "fiber optic cable".
Besides the actual radio sites that are being built, we are building several computer server units.
These servers will help control and maintain the entire system. They will provide you with services like email
and web hosting. They are providing this web page that you are currently looking at.
One of the servers that we plan to install is a "Community" web server, which will provide you information about
the local community, weather, information, and other items, along with links to local organizations.
Any suggestions you have on what needs to be on this "Community Web site" would be appreciated !
This is all still being configured and installed, with plenty of interruptions from all the construction
going on up at the Yarnell hilltop.
More to come .............
Week of April 22nd, 2013
The hole is dug, time to fill it up !!!!
FIRST, the rebar has to be installed to give the tower foundation the proper supporting structure.
Several large wood "timbers" are being used as supports above the rebar.
The bottom "mat" of rebar is installed. 28 bars in one direction, and 28 bars in the other.
With the bottom "mat" done, We are installing the "J" bolts in a special "JIG" that will hold
their alignment to fit the bottom legs of the tower. These bolts are what holds the tower to
the concrete.
(Note to myself: Your hard hat keeps falling off) Who is that bald guy ??
Now plastic is put against the rock sides of the hole, to help form the concrete when it is poured.
The top rebar "mat" has already been constructed. The timber supports are now lifted over to it
and will be tied together to make one assembly.
The Top "Mat", now supported by the timbers is lowered back into the hole.
Now we align the "J" bolts back up through their alignment fixture.
Everything is now set and ready to pour the concrete !!!
The first concrete truck shows up to the site.
And we start to pour !
and pour, ............... and pour,
More concrete trucks, we are pouring two at once, one direct, and one into the "Excavator bucket".
Now have it about half full.
Using a "vibrator" to make it settle better, and get out air pockets in the concrete.
Moving it around, and filling more into the low spots
Done pouring, Starting to put the top finish on it.
Support timbers are removed to allow final finishing.
final finishing is being completed.
Done and finished............... Whew ! Lots of Work !!!!!
In all 64 cubic yards of concrete are used for this foundation, that's 8 concrete trucks.
Oh, Wait.........Who let the dog out ????? Woof, woof, woof (chase those butterflies)
Oh, NO, ............. More work..............
Hopefully, the finishing is NOW done ???
And just in case, we setup safety fences around it.
Well, the concrete is now finished for the tower foundation. It MUST sit for about 2 weeks
for it to harden and be ready to take the weight of the tower on top of it.
In the meantime, we have to finish leveling the site, and putting in the foundations
for the building and generator unit.
We started on getting the generator foundation put up, and ready to fill with concrete.
Layed out all the rebar, and setup the forms to hold everything.
This was then filled with concrete.
We had a major problem with the County regarding the layout of the building foundation.
The engineer specified that we should have an inner form, and outer form, so as to allow
"footings" to be deeper than the top of the foundation. The County did not want to allow us
to pour this foundation with the "inner" form inside the concrete. After a couple of weeks of
negotiation, it was agreed that we would pull the "inner" form out while we were pouring
the concrete into the "outer" form.
We started getting the forms and rebar setup for the foundation.
The top mesh was pulled back off, and we started to pour the concrete.
First, concrete was poured into the deeper "footing" on the outside.
We then pulled out the "inner" form.
The rebar "mesh" was re-inserted onto the top, and we finished pouring concrete.
Concrete pouring is done, and "finishing" is started.
NOW, we have a completed building foundation.......Well, almost...
Still need to put the "Front stoop" below where the door will be.
Lots, still to do......Electrical to put in underground, tower to erect, fill dirt to dump.
More to come ..................
Did you see us at Yarnell Days ????
