Delivery Made and Construction Thoughts

Most of the windows arrived before Christmas.  As you can see, they filled up one of the bays of our window barn.  Now, our tractor, being displaced, is homeless for awhile.  A big thanks to Junius, Peter, Steve, Fred, and Kris and his helper from Nature Neutral in Charlottsville, VA.

We have been mulling over how to 'reinforce' the I-beams for supporting the second floor. They require gluing and screwing.  That requires a warm 55 degree environment for at least 24 hours.  One of the current thoughts is to finish the garage and put them in there and heat that area; and for the I-beams that are longer than the garage, we would create a plastic building extension that would retain some of the heat. We only need to work on one end at a time of those longer I-beams.  The shorter beams only need the reinforcement on one end. 

Framing of the Garage Wall - Finished

You can see some of the rebar (horizontal and vertical) along with the back of the garage wall.

From the inside looking out

Manuel, Bruce and Felix arrived with Vincent on Monday, and completed the framing without any problems on Wednesday.  Perhaps a few questions, but no problems - and the questions were answered.  They even capped it off with a Keystone.

Starting to Make Progress Once Again!

Keith has joined Bill, and, for a week, they addressed erosion problems, and finished the first layer of horizonal rebar on the garage and started the vertical layer of rebar. 

Square gray grate in center of picture is the drain.  The house is just to the right, out of the picture. The black and white 'snake' on the left is the corrugated pipe.

Yesterday, Bill and Keith made a drain, lined in brick. So, instead of the water washing down the hill, it should collect in the drain and go down the half-buried 4" corrugated pipe and come out near the bottom of the hill. 

BEFORE

 

AFTER

And, also yesterday, Wayne the Welder did a wonderful welding job on "the beam that was too short."

The lumber to build the garage wall was delivered Friday and this week, IT WILL BE BUILT.  With the welding done, some of the panels can be put on the house, along with rebar. We still need to hear from the engineers about the support for the 2nd floor.  That should be very soon now.

An Explanation of What All This is About

What are we building?

This is not the run-of-the-mill conventional house.  It is an underground shelter which has windows and doors on 3 sides.  All those windows  on the end walls should let in the daylight.  We wanted a curved roof as that has more strength to hold up the earth.  The main structure is a 40 x 66 quonset hut with a 24 x 18 quonset hut forming a T to the West.  We have a smaller T to the East which is 6 x 18.  And there is a second structure which is a 24 x 24 quonset hut with an half dome attached to one end. So it's total length is 36.  It is open at one end and faces South. It is a garage/workshop.

          

We are incorporating the Passive Annual Heat Storage (PAHS) concept with both structures.  This involves earth tubes and an umbrella. Earth tubes are sets of pipes which run thru the earth, opening at the floor and ceiling creating a thermal syphon.  The warm air in the building rises and goes thru the ceiling pipes, and the air in the building is replenished by the cooler air coming in thru the floor pipes. The lower tubes run under the building, the upper tubes run on the outside of the building under the 'umbrella' and eventually, all the tubes run alongside each other, exchanging their heat.  All earth tubes after running thru the earth, open to the air beyond the umbrella.  The umbrella is  a layering of plastic and insulation that is laid like shingles over the dirt over the house, and including 20 feet around the house.  It is used to insulate the earth above, around, and below the house.  Above the umbrella is about a foot of topsoil.  The plastic keeps out the rain; the insulation keeps out the temperature changes.  During the summer, the sun heats up the house by shining thru the windows.  The heat is conducted thru the walls and floors and excess heat  goes thru the upper earth tubes and the lower earth tubes bring in cool air.  The earth tubes in this way heat up the soil under the umbrella.  During the winter, the colder air descends the lower earth tubes; warmer air comes into the house thru the upper earth tubes from the warmed earth.  We had to compromise.  We agreed with the company making our 'kit' that the upper earth tubes running on the outside of the house (in the dirt) are subject to shear due to the earth settling, no matter how much compacting we did.  So we are having the upper earth tubes be at ceiling level, and come down within the house and go under the slab and out, just like the lower earth tubes.  This necessitates  a fan for each of the upper earth tubes, to make the air flow as it won't flow on its own as it would in a thermal syphon system.

Why are we building what we are building? 


We want to be as energy conscious as we can. Hence, the PAHS mentioned above.  We have a handicapped child, and are thinking of our possible incapacities in the future, so the floor plan is very open and the first floor has everything we need.  

The pool area is sunken so that one can sit on the side of the pool and swing one's legs over into the water.  We are planning an Endless Pool which has a return-flow system which will act like a ledge within the pool.  The pool will provide much needed aquatic therapy.

We wanted a smaller house.  However, to get two bedrooms on the first floor, next to each other, it was necessary to go with the larger quonset hut.  And the second floor capability came with the larger quonset hut.  

The 6 x 18 quonset hut was actually a tunnel in the first renditions of the house as we wanted to connect the garage and house and have a way of getting the wheelchair into the vehicle while under cover.  But the cost of the tunnel outweighed our desires, and the tunnel became a pantry/wine cellar.  It is partially insulated to keep the warmth of the PAHS and house from getting it too warm.  And the umbrella will end very near the end of the pantry such that the far end should be cooler than what is closer to the main living area.

We are still thinking of future possibilities: of incorporating some wind turbines and/or solar technology. The hill that we have dug into seems to almost always have a breeze.

How are we building this project?


That is what this blog is all about.  Not knowing much about building with concrete, we are the general contractor/owner and have obtained the services of local companies to help us in this endeavor.

Delays Due to Technical Difficulties

We have been having some great weather, along with some rainy days.  We took this time to dig some ditches and bury some pipe. We have engineers working on two fronts currently.   One need addressed the framing plans for the 4 exterior walls that will be exposed to the elements, whereas the rest of the house will be 'underdirt'. And along with that, they are looking at wind load - making sure the wall will withstand the wind force that will be applied to it especially in a storm.  The framing plans are done at this point, but the wind load has still to be factored in. We want a seamless appearance for the retaining wall and the framed wall, so we had thought stucco.  With the wind load, and the possibility of the framed wall moving and cracking the stucco, we are looking at other alternatives.

And the other engineering problem has to do with the second floor and the structural integrity thereof.  See photo.  There is very little for the 39 ft I-joists to sit on and they need to be 'trimmed' beyond what the manufacturer recommends. The tape measure shows the 11 7/8" height of an I-joist and where it would be cut (5 inches would be cut off where the I-joist is supported by the side steel beam).  The engineer  that engineered the structural drawings said, "I am aware that the joists are trimmed back over the steel beam supports. This is a tried and proven method that has worked well for many years.  It is not conventional, but neither is the structure in which it is used."   Other engineers and building experts are not so glib.

The other problem we are addressing has to do with that ridge beam we had problems with before.  It is still too short, but this time on the other end.  We will be looking into getting a local welder to see how he can fix it rather than contacting the company that supplied the kit. This picture shows the end of the ridge beam of our 24 ft west annex where it should attach to our 40 ft main structure.  We still have to get the annex precisely plumb and measure  how much off it is, but it appears to be about 7 inches. 




 We have also ordered additional materials we will need - 6" PVC Schedule 40 pipe and fittings and insulation for our earth tubes, and a culvert pipe.  The culvert pipe serves two purposes, it protects the earth tubes from road traffic, and serves as a heat exchanger.  Our windows are ready to be delivered!  So we need to clear out an outbuilding to store them until WE are ready to install them - after the shotcrete process. 

There is plenty to do to keep the site from eroding while we work through our current issues. We have been putting some rebar on the garage, and we will continue to do that until we can get more help with it. Bill has kept busy doing work on the house project and keeping up with work around the farm that needed to be done.

Pictures of the House of Steel

 

A request came to see more pictures of the steel.  The second floor supports are still missing - two are in place.  And the 24 x 18 west annex is not attached to the 40 x 66 as yet.  Otherwise, all of the big steel pieces are in place.

A view from the East

The pantry/wine cellar that was first thought of as a tunnel to the garage

A look North down the East wall

One of the second floor supports is in place at the pantry entrance

 

You can see another second floor support at the West Annex entrance.  Also visible are the tabs along the outside of the arches.  The panels and a set of rebar are attached to them.  Very sharp - watch out! All of the arches will have them bent up and ready for panels.

A view down the West wall of the main structure looking North.  Notice the first 6 feet is dirt between the two arches.  That allows an overhang for our southern exposure. And between the arches along the side of the structure, there are lots of one inch PVC pipe mostly buried in the concrete slab.  They will hold vertical rebar.  The yellow straps are binders used to help keep the structure stable while erecting it.

  

Looking East from the West side of the structure thru the West Annex to the East pantry

From the NorthWest side looking SouthEast

View from the Northwest corner to the Southeast

A Reason to Celebrate

All of the parts - steel beam extension and bolts to tie it in, and the tap-tights to fasten the two 33 ft beams together to make a 66 ft beam - arrived last Thursday with no further instructions on how it was to go together.  And as of today (it's Tuesday), ALL OF THE STEEL ARCHES AND BEAMS ARE ASSEMBLED! 

The attaching of the extension to the beam was probably the trickiest part.  Bill took that on.  He was up on scaffolding, with the beam and arches that were already assembled.  The beam being a box beam and each arch being a piece of metal to attach to the box.  So ordinarily, the 2 bolts need to go thru 4 pieces of metal, holding both arches together with the box beam in the middle.  With the extension, he had to unbolt the bolts and add two pieces of metal that were welded on the outside of the beam extension, inserting them between the box beam and each arch.  Six pieces of metal with each set of two bolt holes had to be aligned. He got the first bolt in which took some doing.  Then the second bolt needed a different tack. One of the tools he used was a big pipe wrench and he ground one of the bolts so that it was slightly pointed (bevelled the end of one of the bolts so that it would slip through the slightly misaligned metal).  He applied the 36" pipe wrench to move the arch where it needed to be and tapped the bolt with the bevelled end while holding everything in place, and it went in!

There are steel 2nd floor supports that still have to be added to the structure. 

We have had some more rain, and needed to re-compact the soil around the slab of the house.  

The erection of the steel was done by hand except for the 40 x 66 part of the house.  Here are some videos that show the process of attaching each arch to the main beam.   The team got it down to about 15 minutes per arch.

T

Some Surmountable Problems, Erecting More Steel and Garage Panels

Bill and I were erecting the 24 x 18 West annex and having a good time.  We got the center beam and the end arch up.  I went in to rest (haha).  Bill stayed out and put away tools, etc.  Among the etc, was a time of contemplation and enlightenment.  He noticed that the beam was 6 ft short.  In this picture, you can see it readily.  His brother, Tom, came over and helped us out, and suggested that since we had that beam and arch secure, and since we found out from the fabricators that they were going to add to THAT end of the beam, he thought that we should try to walk the arch and beam down 6 ft to where it shows in this picture.  Much better than disassembling and reassembling.  AND, he helped put up the rest of the arches!  Only the beam extension and end arch to go!

 A view from our driveway.

Here you can see in the foreground, the 6 x 18 tunnel which actually is a dead end and will be used as a wine cellar/pantry off the kitchen.  It will be a cooler room due to some extra insulation on the walls near the house and less insulation as you go further into the pantry.  So the soil should keep it cool and at a relatively constant temperature. In the background, you can see the 24 x 18 west annex arches.  And in the middle, securely lashed down are some of the 40 x 66 arches and in the distance on the left is our driveway.  I should note here that the other problem that we found was that the 2 beams that make up the 66 ft beam get bolted together.  However, the inventory sheet did not specify any bolts that size.  So they are being sent to us by the fabricators.

 A view from our driveway taken the day before the steel erection above was one.                                                                          

A Week's Progress

The BIG EVENT occurred Monday and Tuesday.  A pumpcrete truck arrived early Tuesday morning.  8 concrete trucks also contributed to the effort along with about a dozen young men.  We now have a concrete floor in our new house.

On the garage, we added some more panels so that we only have 3 more to put on.

Today, Greg and Carson came and erected the four tunnel arches with Bill and Kim, but mostly on their own; and set up two sets of scaffolding so that the steel arches in the west annex can be erected next. But, another day.

Rain Delay, but Progress too!

This picture shows the whole project site.  The center right is the garage slab with steel erected.  Above and to the left behind the truck is where the house will be. The cameraman, Bill, is on a hill of dirt in our field.  This whole area used to be trees with the old farm house above where the garage is behind those trees.

 Deep in thought, about all kinds of worries perhaps, Bill is looking over our house site with its numerous plumbing and earth pipes.
The weather has delayed the pouring of the slab until early next week.  The plumbing passed inspection at this point.  We have one more earth pipe to put in, but it will be done while the slab is being poured.  It is closer to the surface and we don't want it crushed by concrete trucks.  It is actually our dryer vent which should heat up our bedroom floors quite well.  We will have to keep it lint-less.

Today's progress! Bill and I put the first row of mesh panel on the garage along with two panels of the second row (in the back).  We, mostly Bill, also put in some horizontal rebar. I sunk down about 8 inches in mud.  And it is pretty slick in spots.  This part of the job was slow going.  We are thinking that the upper row and top row will be even tougher.  But as we learn how to do it, we hope it will go faster.

The Sterrett crew had poured our sunken area's floor a day or two before this picture.  Here, they are bringing the walls up to the floor of the main house.  We hope to put a modular, transportable spa in this area.

Wonderful SunShine!

We have had about a week without rain.  The Sterrett Co has been here off and on working on the preparations for the slab - footers.  They also poured the floor of our sunken area.

The plumbers, namely Glen and Mark, have been here Wednesday thru Friday, and done remarkably putting in our 13 of 14 earth tubes.  One more to go.  And they will come back Monday to do the last one and get the actually 'plumbing' (water drain stuff) installed.  Then on Tuesday, the footers will be poured.  And Wednesday is scheduled to be the BIG day where the slab will be poured.  Mr Sterrett said they would be here from 4 am until 5 pm.  So everything has to be ready for them.

Only problem is that there is a 50% chance of rain Tuesday night.

Erecting Steel and Incorporating French Drains and Bobcat

Oh, my achin' back!  And I am not contributing that much manual labor. Perhaps if I did it on a more regular basis, my muscles would get used to it.

The steel arches of the garage are raised, tightened, straight and secure. This is a great sense of accomplishment.  We do have a lot more to do.  If you notice, we are facing South and the back of the garage is a dirt wall that is 14 ft high (where the camera is).  It feels like an oven in that hole when the sun is out and you're working.  There are tabs about every 18 inches on those arches which needed to be bent 90 degrees to hold some panels on, which is the next step in the process - getting those panels in place. Thanks to Tom and Bill for doing those tabs and getting the arches tightened.  Thanks to Junius for helping raise the roof! 

There is a gravel ditch around the slab.  With all the rain, the french drains are being partially installed as time permits, and then checked to see that they are OK before progressing further.  At this point the socked corrogated pipe is in but it is not covered with gravel.

Yesterday, we got a new used toy - tool.  A bobcat loader arrived and today, Bill was driving around learning how to drive/steer.  He noticed the loader is operated with the feet, and that is going to take some getting used to.  He thought I might like to learn how to operate it.  I wouldn't mind as long as I don't get carried away and take out any buildings.

Rain, rain, go AWAY

It has been off and on raining.

It seemed a wicked pace - getting the slab in.  And then the plumber wanting to do his work.  But that is how it is. They each need to be in and out so the next part can be done.  

But now it is raining, and we can take a breather - rather, get more prepared for the next rush.

The garage has it's earth tubes in place, and the slab poured. And we are in the process of raising the steel arches.  Also being done at the same time, is installing french drains. And then, putting up a facade - front wall to the garage. We want to keep the garage progressing ahead of the house, so we can learn and do better in building the house.

On the house, the plumber came and learned about our project, and we learned a little about plumbing and how they will be installing the pipes.  They will be helping us install our earth pipes.  The house has 13 earth tubes that go in the slab.  And they have to be done prior to the plumbing pipes.  So, we are trying to pinpoint where they are going to be.  The plumber will be back to work with us on this on Monday and actually put them in the ground! 

We also have ordered lots of building materials and have piles of it around the site - organized.  

The Garage Slab

We contracted with Sterrett Inc to create the slabs for our project, both the garage and house.  We wanted to start with the garage, and use it to learn from our mistakes if we made any.  They agreed.  They arrived on a Monday, and helped us with our earth tubes - two of them in the garage floor - and a drain in the middle of the floor and a pipe for a sink in the floor toward the side of the garage.  They put in their forms for footers and were ready  for an inspection that afternoon.  Tuesday, they poured the slab and incorporated the necessary 'fittings' on the floor surface to which the rest of the building (walls) will be attached. At this point, the house slab is not done but hopefully, before Oct 17th, it will be.  Lots to do before then.

Ground Breaking

On 16 August 2011, we broke ground. A lot of digging was done...we have a big pile - 'hill' - of dirt.  And two holes - one for the house and one for the garage.  The house is on the top of the hill and the garage is in the side of the hill and they both face the field (South).  The house hole is less than 7 feet deep but quite wide.  The garage hole, being in the hill, is 14 feet deep at the back, currently it's deepest area.  Once it is underground, it will all be the same depth.

Demolition

We had the site all picked out.  However, with the changes in the layout of the floorplan, we needed natural light from 3 sides, so we decided that where the old farm house was situated was the best location.  So, the old farm house had to be unloaded of precious stuff in storage and then torn down.  It is buried on our farm.

I am getting a little ahead of myself....Last year, we cleared the trees from around the house and down the South-sloped  hill in front of the house.  That was very sad.  And we put in a septic system. 

We buried the old farm house in July 2011, with no ceremonious circumstance.  And the hilltop is wonderful.  We can feel the breeze coming up from the field, and see the numerous stars at night.

A Decision

In the 1980s, I got married.  And my husband knew lots about carpentry but nearly nothing about working with concrete.  He however, saw the significance of an earth shelter and added the concept that it should be dome - round-roofed - shaped.  It took many years in the back of the mind thought processes.  In the 1990s, we purchased property which had an old farm house on it to be restored, as we thought of restoring it.  The previous owner had given up on the worthiness of the effort as one section of the house was an add-on that was apparently done during hard times. In the early 2000s, we came up with a concept  for an earth shelter which was shot down by the company we were considering to use.  We were disheartened.  But in the 2010s, we  renewed our efforts, and stuck with it until we had a floor plan that would work for us.

We are currently in the process of building that dream come true, and this blog is to help us record it as it happens.

An Inkling

Back in the 1970s, I went on what I believe was the first Maryland Solar Tour.  There were passive and active solar applications.  And there were underground homes.  I didn't know how, but I wanted to have an underground home.