Grind of a day

Not a lot has happened over the last few days.  It was pretty clear at Physio on Monday that if I did not give my back some down time, things would rapidly get much worse (I have disc issues).  So I made the decision to take Tuesday off and just rest the back (meaning no sitting either).

Then I got a call saying someone had cancelled and did I want to come in Wednesday evening for an MRI that had been ordered for me to find out if I had chiari malformation (a hereditary condition recently found in a family member that needed surgery to correct where you literately have too large a brain to fit into an area of the scull).  The calling technician had a series of questions including had I ever ground metal.  As the conversation progressed she heavily advised against me cutting metal rod on the day of the MRI (the risk is that some can get under the skin or even very small pieces somehow get in your eyes.  Of course the magnets would rip the shards right out potentially causing a lot of damage).  As my back was still pretty bad, I decided a second day with my feet up would be the wisest course of action.

Today my back felt better and I got to work prepping for tomorrow. You see, I have to reinforce ALL of the excavated banks that do not have lock blocks (not just the odd area that is close to vertical).  This involves covering them with 8Ga welded wire mesh and securing it top and bottom with anchors driven 12″ into the soil.  To me and many others that have been by, this is ludicrous, but Worksafe pressured my engineer who has now recommended this installation.  The heavily cemented soil could probably be undercut and still not collapse, so the lightly banked sides pose no threat in my opinion, but I am complying with the ($2K) recommendation because it is easier than fighting.

I spent the day cutting 134 pcs of 15″ long threaded rod and then rented a rebar bender and bent 3″ long angles on the top to allow it to lock into the mesh and provide a hammering surface.  The mesh will be laid in vertical strips top to bottom and be secured along the top and bottom.  I have hired two labourers for tomorrow to help hang the strips so I do not re-agrevate my back now that it has calmed down.  They will manhandle the 12′-16′ long strips while I anchor them into place.

By the end of tomorrow I hope to have all strips in place with basic anchoring along the top side.  I will then complete the driving of anchors into the top side and along the bottom over the weekend.

My hope is that by Tuesday (Monday is a holiday – no construction noise allowed), that the actual excavation and its stabilization will be complete and I will finally be able to move on.  I will then spend a day rehanging the tarp and then hopefully finish digging the perimeter footings and scraping all mud into one pile. I would then cover the rest of the pit floor with gravel. Parm from Diamond will come back to dig out the scrapings and footing dirt which represents about one truck full.  At that time, I would also have him pull Alfie out of the hole.

So my goal is that by Saturday the 18 at the latest, I will have started laying out the footing forms. Once laid out, I will need to have them surveyed and then inspected by the geotech, structural engineer, and the District engineer before pouring.

Lets hope and pray everything is finally proceeding on the right track and speed.

Thanks for visiting.