Today the framing of the second floor began, and measures were taken to provide proper drainage from the building.
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Tim uses a custom tool to measure for Hemcrete.
David Madera stopped by to discuss Hemcrete.
A strip drain is placed at the bottom of each wall.
Gravel is shoveled into the Eastern trench.
Wast Wall Framing
Today, the concrete slab was scored on a three foot grid, to prevent cracking. David Madera and Greg Flavell of Hemp Technologies also helped us to perform a full-size Hemcrete test.
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Scored Concrete Slab
Scored Concrete Slab
Hemcrete Mix
12" Hemcrete Form
Completed Hemcrete Wall
Today, JBS Construction came back to pour the concrete slab over the vapor barrier.
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JBS places a matrix of rebar over the hardened foam.
Concrete Pour in Mechanical Room
Jeff and Jackson Buscher
JBS Smoothing the Slab
Slab at Corner
New Storm Drain
New Box for Replaced Storm Drain
Today, Home Energy Partners came out to spray the closed-cell insulation for the slab and exterior walls.
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Advantek sheathing and brick mold are installed first to stop the foam and eventually to support the Hemcrete.
Brick Mold Installation
Home Energy Partners Spraying North Wall
Home Energy Partners Spraying North Wall
Home Energy Partners Spraying Underslab Foam Insulation
Home Energy Partners Spraying Underslab Foam Insulation
Spray Foam Insulation around Ground Loop Stub-out
Spray Foam Insulation on CMU
Today, another 20 mil. vapor barrier was spread over gravel, in preparation for the insulation and concrete slab.
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Drain and Insulation with Gravel
Finished Gravel
Vapor Barrier at CMU
All penetrations through the vapor barrier are carefully sealed.
Finished Vapor Barrier
Guthrie Masonry came today to install the AAC and Concrete blocks.
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The 12" AAC blocks are installed on top of the concrete footers.
The 12" concrete blocks create a retaining wall on the East side.
Today Carolina Ready Mix poured the concrete footers.
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Carolina Ready Mix Concrete Truck
Rebar in Footer Trench
Carolina Ready Mix Pouring Concrete Footers
Today a 20 mil. vapor barrier was laid in the trenches. The concrete footers will be poured on top. Radon pipes were installed for future venting if necessary, and greywater pipes were stubbed-out in hopes that one day a legal greywater system will be possible.
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View of Completed Vapor Barrier from Southwest
Tim Callahan
Stubbed-out Radon and Greywater Pipes
The theoretical limit of capillary rise in concrete is about 10 kilometers—and folks that is not a typo—it really is about 10 kilometers or about 6 miles. Concrete sucks big time. In wood it is about 400 feet—the height limit trees can grow to is set by the size of the capillary pores in wood. Ever wonder how leaves get water? When you go into a forest and listen very carefully you don’t hear any pumps pumping water upwards a couple of hundred feet do you? Capillary suction is powerful stuff. When you add salt to the water the power becomes explosive—literally as we shall see…
The article goes into detail about using lime mortar as a sacrificial layer to protect brick, and detailing foundations to direct capillary water to the outside.
:: BSC | Capillarity—Small Sacrifices
