Wanye and Garth Concrete, Inc. SCHWING!
It is sexy watching them pump concrete to the new track surface, though. SCHWING!
It is sexy watching them pump concrete to the new track surface, though. SCHWING!
Never one to shrink away from supervising, EPVA Prez Pete shows up to PLOCK - (Plan Lead Organize Control Kill time).
There's still a lot of hard work though. Moving real thick concrete around on a slope - Fun!
One of the challenges is getting concrete to stay still on a 37° bank. Modern concrete has admixtures that makes this easier.
Here's an overview of the rip rap installation - that's a lot of stone!
The site foreman, engineer, and one of the workers go over the site plan.
Hard to move rock when your trackhoe's broke. The man I talked to (Greg) said it just wouldn't start. Dieselitis...
Overview of the work area with the tree on the north side of the stream having been removed. Work is progressing very rapidly now.
The tree is gone, rip rap installation on the north side of the stream has started, and the second outflow pipe is in place. Engineers, concrete company foremen, and the site foreman go over the plan for the rest of the repair.
Another view as the crane is set up. Unfortunately, I was unable to stay long enough to take pictures as the tree came down.
One of the outflow pipe extensions has been installed, as the mattress block installation continues.
The rip rap installation on the souh side of the stream, substantially complete.
A good view of the rip rap installation on the south side of the stream.
Overview of the work area, with a better view of the south side reinforcement installed in the area shown excavated in previous photos.
The tree shown in this photo will be removed to make way for the rip rap installation on the north side of the stream. It's a shame it has to go, but it is part of the problem!
This view is looking west from the outflow area, with the first check dam and construction area in view. As you can see, the check dams serve a valuable purpose to help reduce siltage downstream.
Rip rap and mattressing blocks are placed in the streambed to form a good base for the outflow pipe extensions.
This view shoes the end of the existing wall, which will be reinforced with new construciton.
This area was excavated to make way for the installation of the riprap, which will prevent erosion under the new wall reinforcement.
One issue we ran into was the City's dissatisfaction with the construciton entrance - despite their buy-off on the site plan. The city is never one to let a prior agreement stand in the way of Bureaucracy.
Close-up of the mattressing blocks, which are basically interlocking concrete blocks.
This is the mattressing material that will be placed in the streambed, both under the new outflow pipes and out into the new wash area, to prevent erosion of the streambed. Streambed erosion was what led to the cracking of the original retaining wall.
These are the pipe extensions that will be placed in the existing outflow area. Once in place, rubble and riprap will be compacted around them, and concrete poured to hold them in place. This will form part of the new reinforcing system for the old wall.
