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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 2/13/2008 3:29:56 PM
We are beginning to excavate the pad today...WAHOO! But alas, we find out our 2nd soils report was probably not accurate. Now…we have to wait until 27th! Kathy will come get soil tomorrow so I head over & use John (the tractor) to dig some out for her.
12/18
Excavation STOPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
12/27/07
At 10am I receive word that our swell is 1.9% but that they did not run a Plasticity index test. So we are still on hold for another day.
Since I’m not sure I’ve told the whole story…this began back in June. We needed a soils report for excavators to bid on the house. We received 2 bids…One could do it within 2 weeks, whereas the other would take twice to three times as long. Both were listed on our UBuildIt sub list. Since we needed this for the city, we chose the quicker one on the recommendation of UBuildIt and a couple of other subs we had worked with
We signed a contract on 6/7/07 to have a report within 2 ½ weeks. On June 27th, we received our report. Boy were we happy! It said there was a negative swell. After a few discussions with excavators, we found out that this could not possibly be the case for our land. So, they went out, dug one hole & tested it. On Aug 27 we received a revised report. This time it said that there was a .3% swell and 21 Plasticity index. Most of you are saying, I don’t know what that is….we didn’t either. Excavators were saying it didn’t seem right, but no one said, this is outrageous or flat out wrong. I guess people don’t want to step on others toes, but if only 1 person would have said-“That can’t be the case…those numbers are in opposition to each other and the likelihood of that happening is nil.” When I spoke with the soils engineer, she said that it sometimes happens that way. She’s the expert, what do I know??? On 12/17, I decided to call the lab that she had hired. I left a message for the person who had signed off on both of the reports. I had spoken with him about the previous report and he said that the wrong dirt must have been turned in to them. He did not call me back. I called again on the 18th & left another message. Finally, on my third day of calling on the 19th, I reached him in his office around 3:45pm. I asked about the .3% swell & 21% PI. He said that was not possible…and would need another sample to rerun the test. I could not get it from the land (Cave Creek) to the Tempe AMEC lab before they closed. Since this was Wednesday, that meant that he would not run it until NEXT week (yesterday) at 7am. He did not have anyone who could/would work Saturday morning (as they usually do)…and so we waited. Kathy took the sample in Thursday. When we spoke, I specifically asked if all tests were to be run and she said yes.
Today however, the PI had not been run. I just spoke with lab who said they weren't informed to run a PI ... and it would be tomorrow morning.
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 2/13/2008 3:18:19 PM
Cameron kept working on the driveway & building it up! All was going great!!!!
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| Cameron working on driveway |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 2/13/2008 3:10:50 PM
Cameron (Hanks Excavation) arrived and began moving granite into the driveway
Martin came back out to test the well. It still wasn't up for drinking yet, but they were working on that.
No word from Art yet, about working on the culverts or removing the pins.
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| Driveway Build-Up beginning!!! |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 2/13/2008 3:06:10 PM
While we waited for the headwalls to cure so they could withstand pressure, St. Joseph, MO had an ice storm. My parents and grandmother were without power for over a week & moved in with my brother. We all desended for an early Christmas celebration and a 'eat the food' because cleaning out the fridge & freezers. Kim ended up taking a break from the AZ warmth & helping trim fallen branches.
Meanwhile, back in Sunny AZ, Dirt began to be delivered and we had piles of it!!!!
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| Kim cutting down branches in St. Joe |
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| Piles of Granite |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 2/13/2008 2:53:28 PM
Art’s crew is out removing headwall forms this morning before the rain! The sonacolumns that collapsed are quite noticeable, but water should still be able to move through the culverts…and they will be back to carve out the collapsed culverts. Additionally, since we decided to go with natural concrete, they will be back to remove the pins & cover the holes!!!!
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| Headwalls & culverts |
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| slight collapse |
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| West side had bigger problems |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 2/13/2008 1:38:45 PM
12/5
Art & crew were out early to fix the issues & pour the concrete. They cut & moved the rebar from near the sonacolumns. I asked him to confirm the pumper truck time. He did…I called. 10 minutes later, he said to call back & reschedule it for an hour later. The guys were sawing & forming the lower part of the wall. I questioned as to whether a piece of wood stuck between the pipes would keep the concrete in. I was told it would not be a problem.
The pumper truck came & we waited & waited on the Cemex truck.
Steve (pump truck driver & Cameron's uncle) had a time getting his pumper truck in under the phone wire…since the ground was softer than the week before, he could not go as far forward.
Once it came, it took a while to pour because the concrete had to be vibrated in the walls...and sure enough it was flowing out of the holes around the base and sides. Dirt, stones and wood was used to keep it in. Steve enjoyed a cigar while working the remote J
After finishing the pour, Art’s guys went back to work on the top of the headwalls. I called for another inspection for the following morning so that the second pour could occur tomorrow afternoon because rain was once again in the forecast for this weekend.
12/6
Richard came out to inspect & We Passed!!!! Art's guy's are working still... I call Art, Dino & Kim :) again. I also call Western for a pump truck this afternoon. Art informs me this morning that several of the sonacolumns collapsed yesterday, but that they would get it out.
In fact, they are still working when the pumper shows up at 11:30. Both sets are still working at 12:30 when the Cemex truck shows up.
This pour goes slowly too. The guys are trying to keep it in the walls (no blow outs) & also vibrate it enough so it won’t crack have bubbles, etc.
They walk across the top of the headwall, change places, etc.
No one wants the pbjs which I offer J …I wouldn’t either if I could have great food that they have planned for a late afternoon lunch, home-made enchiladas!
They head out…and forget to take down the 2x4s holding up the phone line. I end up doing it alone…with no problems (except that it took quite a while). I also fire up John and move some dirt so water doesn’t go all over the land.
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| Cutting away board to move/cut rebar |
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| Art Checking Work |
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| Wood used to stop flow |
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| See why I thought concrete would flow out! |
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| Braced Headwalls (no blowouts!) |
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| Vibrating on West side, Pouring on East side |
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| Steve, working hard while enjoying a cigar! |
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| Smoothing 1st section |
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| Finishing up with trucks! |
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| 2nd Pour is going great! |
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| Phone wire lift :) |
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| I can't resist...top of headwall |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 2/13/2008 12:21:04 PM
12/3
Arts guys are back at it! They have closed up one side. Art said they weren’t going to be done today as they had thought & so I shouldn’t call for the inspection. Not a problem…. I then spoke with Dino around 2:45pm. He indicated that perhaps the inspector would like to see it before the entire wall was put up. So, I called the building line at Cave Creek & Richard got stuck with me. He said that of course they want to see it when 1 side is open… and was kind enough to take down my info for an inspection tomorrow even though I was probably a minute or two late by that time. He said to give him a call in the morning & since John was on jury duty, he would probably have a better estimate of arrival. After I had mentioned their trip out last time, he recalled who I was!
I called Art & Dino & told them that one side was to be left open….
Kim stopped by the land on his way home. He thought both sides were done. We went back over & sure enough they were.
12/4
Richard, Cave Creek Inspector, came out this morning! We passed!!!!
I called Art (asked what time to get the pump truck), Kim & Dino to let them know.
I called Western Pumping right away..and scheduled the pumper for noon tomorrow! I had to tell them that there would be 2 pours…and that this was the first because the walls were going to be poured in 2 sections. They were very helpful!
He just indicated that the rebar could be moved a bit further out from the sonacolumns so that they wouldn't stick out after the concrete was poured.
Although it was still morning, no one came out to work for the remainder of the day.
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| Tieing rebar for headwalls |
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| Finishing up on West Headwall |
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| Headwalls Pass inspection!!! |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 2/13/2008 11:57:23 AM
11/30
Dino, the weatherman J, says there won’t be much rain. The weather stations are calling for 100% chance of rain…all weekend long. My concern is that the water will be blocked, even though there is not much that runs in this wash.
The guys work until about 2pm when it started raining steadily. They had pulled out the plastic to tape around the sonaform.
Around 5 Kim remembers that we don’t have a cover on the ‘vent’ of our trailer. I hurry back over & spend quite some time getting one of our garbage can lids up there & a can inside where it can go. Everything of course is wet…including me because I’m soaked to the bone.
After Kim gets home, we go back out….good thing! The lid had blown off so he ‘fixed’ it by adding a couple of 2x4s on top! Hillbillys we are!
We clear out some more rocks, but the water has made its path known.
12/1
Still raining! And the sonaforms are soaked! Thankfully we did not back up the water!
12/2
The sun peaks out through the rain! Kim wants to move the last tree…and boy it’s a big one. Unfortunately, the tractor is dead (my fault) so we must first give it a boost…. We get it moved…and have a late night tiff!
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| Art's Crew used Plastic & Duct Tape - Dad, it brings back memories |
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| And the rain kept coming! |
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| Rain, Rain, Go Away...the water finds a way around.... |
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| Kim moves big stones out of water path |
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| Inspector Kim surveys Water Infiltration |
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| Jump Starting John |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 2/13/2008 11:31:02 AM
Art’s crew is back at work. These guys work hard!!! They have brought more sonaform and are cutting the sonaform at the correct measured angle as well as slicing it lengthwise because it was too large to fit in the pipes.
The weatherman is calling for rain this weekend & so hopefully they will be done in time!
The East side is easier for them. One person crawls in & uses some 2x4s to help hold it in place given the soon to be pressure of the concrete. On the West side, crawling in, drawing & fixing the boards, and then getting back out so that the headwall can be put up.
Several of the footer rebar had to be removed for the RCP, especially on the East side. Others are now needed & added.
Dino comes out for a site visit & we determine that the height is not correct. Due to the fact that the sides are at different heights, it is currently approximately 6 ' instead of 8'. They fix it by adding rebar, etc.
I head home…and find my husband a dewalt miter saw. I end up driving to Glendale to pick it up!
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| Cutting sonaform |
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| In the pipe to place sonoform against pall & add boards to hold in place |
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| Dino talking on phone |
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| West side; much harder |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 2/13/2008 11:16:15 AM
Yes, I know this blog is for you, my family & friends, to stay up-to-date. Unfortunately, I had taken a short break because of several issues I will allude to in the following posts. I will still break them up into smaller sections so you can quickly look & read. I am moving them from my Word document/journal, so I apologize for the poor English & the disjointedness! I can (and do) vent frustrations in the Word document, but I try to delete/omit/etc in this public venue! :)
Thank you for your patience, prayers, and help when I've called/emailed!!!!
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 2/13/2008 11:13:15 AM
I arrived shortly after 8, just following Art in. His backhoe operator (Shane) & other employees had been there since 7 & had one pipe already down in the culvert. Today was one of those days! They measured and re-measured, found errors & corrected them. They had to dig down further because they hadn’t taken into account the thickness of the pipes (reinforced concrete as opposed to metal). The slope was off & another problem. The angle of the pipes was off. They also brought in Sonatube columns (used to make concrete columns) to add to the ends instead of cutting & using the 2 extra RCP they had ordered. The Sonaforms were cut them too short. These are used to make concrete columns (stand them up & then peel off the cardboard after the concrete sets up). I questioned whether it would work since the outer part would be getting the concrete poured on it. Art & Dino both thought it wouldn’t be a problem.
Shane & crew had all 8 pipes placed by 1:30pm. The guys were amazing, putting stones under the pipes to raise them up to the right level (they had dug down too far) and using the laser to make sure they were in the correct place. Shane had no problems getting the pipes down the wash with his backhoe. He did move a bit of dirt while waiting for Art.
After a break for lunch (Shane shared his sandwiches), the guys were going to start working on the headwalls but they went home instead (could have been because the sonatubes were cut incorrectly).
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| Sonaforms-cut wrong |
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| Shane with Backhoe, moving pipes |
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| Moving pipe out to dig deeper. |
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| 1st pipe placed |
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| Moving Pipe down, piece by piece |
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| Setting pipes; level & Goup |
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| Final pipe going in |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 2/13/2008 10:36:56 AM
11/26
Today the culverts were to be placed down in the wash. It was an interesting time. Art Enriquez (Enriquez Concrete) said that he could not move the culverts down until there was a road. Dino & I thought that a Backhoe could do it & in fact was on the bid to move them down. Dino had informed me that they were going to move them down. Art said that Dino told him that a road would be there before he could do anything.
Instead, they began building the outer side of the east headwall.
11/27
Nothing happened. I went to the land early & waited & waited. Finally I called Art, and we had a repeat of yesterday’s conversation. I called several places about a crane & the RCP company about the weight and price of the pipes. Dino & Art also had a repeat conversation. I confirmed with Art that the backhoe would be out here tomorrow morning and they would try to get it done. He did not know if they could.
We had decided to go with colored (desert sand) concrete. Art told Dino that he had forgotten about it …. but he told me that they would not be able to patch the tiny holes left by the pins in the walls. I told him I’d let him know tomorrow which way we would go.
I lubed the tractor & moved more dirt & rocks around (you all would have been amazed!). I started on the driveway so Art could get the pipes down. I carefully drove the tractor down the north side, and was moving dirt until dark!
Of course, rain was now entering the forecast for the weekend.
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| East side of 1st headwall. |
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| Sunset Picture from land |
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| 2nd sunset picture--for you Mom! |
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| 3rd sunset picture-for Inger |
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| Headwall material |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 2/13/2008 10:20:44 AM
After running errands all morning, Kim & I met Dino, our UBuildIt consultant for a short update, meeting.
After that, we went to the land to mark places for the trees we were moving.
Headed over to the land at 9 on Saturday morning! Was quite chilly at 54 degrees. We stopped by Cave Creek Building Supply to ask them questions about supplies. My new boot was rubbing my right ankle! So I brought the pathfinder back, made hot tea, changed boots & wrote the right ‘stuff’ on the plans. I called Marty (well installer-awesome job) to ask about hooking up the generator to the well.
I got back to the land & then trimmed the bottom branches off the trees while Kim started digging the first tree hole.
Lisa dug 2 ½ holes while Kim got the generator going & watered the saguaros that we had professionally transplanted. He finished digging the 3rd hole while Lisa watered the transplanted cacti.
It was then getting late & we needed to get the forks back on & move the generator back to storage! We managed to lose the key…again! Although we got luck last Sunday, we were not so lucky to find the key today.
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| Kim on Tractor |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 2/13/2008 10:09:30 AM
8:45, I receive a call from Ray (Western pump truck rep) who is on his way to the land. I leave & pass a truck, with a guy who’s talking on the phone. I call Ray & sure enough, it was him looking for the land.
He comes back around, takes a look and we talk awhile. His family, both sides, were born & bred in AZ. Not going to leave. I learn a little more about the pump truck industry (2500 companies in US, most take a turn in AZ, great network) & his family (thanksgiving tradition is a polo match).
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 2/13/2008 10:07:34 AM
After the footers were poured, we were informed that we would need another pump truck...and this would be an additional cost for us. I searched for the names of companies in the area and called Terry Hanks, our excavator, & said that there would yet be another delay. I mentioned my need for a pump truck and he suggested I call his supervisor, Cameron, whose uncle works for a company & lives near Rocakaway Hills.
I called Cameron, gave me his uncles number, he called his uncle to let him know to expect my call; he called me back to tell me that he gave me the wrong number and give me the right one…and then I called his uncle, Steve.
Ironically, I had talked with Steve’s boss, Roger, at Western…. Cool!
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 11/24/2007
Culverts arrived!
At 10:30 Art & crew showed up to prep for pouring the footers for the driveway headwalls.
First, Art & crew raised the phone line so that the pumper truck could get closer.
Next, Billy moved the truck into place…and sat and waited. Although the concrete was to arrive at 11:30, Billy told me that Art delayed it until 12.
About 12:10, we see an AZ Materials truck coming down the road. I told Billy that I had talked with a Cemex representative & thought that was the company that was delivering. The AZ Materials truck rolls up & they get it all set up. Finally, they talk with Art’s employee & he says that it is Cemex. They then unhook the AZ Materials truck & he goes on his way.
Around 12:40, we do a take two with the Cemex truck.
The footers went in quite quickly!
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