fill. compact. repeat.

We spent the second half of the week backfilling.  We have to do this incrementally to avoid overstressing the concrete stem walls.  It is a long and difficult process - fill, compact, repeat.

The massive amount of fill in the foundation acts as a thermal mass; if done right, it will give sustained heat to the house in cold weather (and vice versa).  It's the same principle as a rammed earth wall, only in the vertical direction.  

johnson village swimming pool

5/6 :

We filled the part of the foundation under the living spaces with a thin layer of dirt; we used a plate-vibrator to compact it.  Additionally, we damp-proofed the outside of the ICF's.  The crew from the local prison (the "Boys in Green") helped for most of the day.

Tar damp-proofing detail:

DOW "Blue board" insulation:

5/7:

We spread and compacted a 4-inch layer of rock as part of the radon-barrier beneath the living spaces.  A 4-inch perforated PVC pipe was laid into the rock; it will vent vertically through the roof of the house.  A layer of 6-millimeter plastic was laid on top of the compacted rock; blue board was installed on top of that.  Once again, this phase of the project was made possible by the prison crew; the level of passion and enthusiasm and concern they bring to the site astounds me. 

Also, their sense of humor (hope, perhaps): "We're only part-time convicts."



The blue board installation will be inspected tomorrow; once it's approved, we'll begin backfilling to the top of the stem walls. 

concrete placement day

We filled the ICF's with concrete today.  The stem wall will cure for around 24 hours before we start backfilling.

 

sketches : ink and graphite on paper : 8.5 in. x 5.5 in.

watercolor on paper : 9 in. x 12 in.

getting high on a Sunday

Nothing quite like getting high on a Sunday morning:

Unnamed Peak : 12,962 ft.

Summit ridge:

Ptarmigan Lake : 12,147 ft.