LAST BLAST BEFORE CHRISTMAS

Our final order from Ciolli Brothers Readymix, 12cu.m of 15MPa concrete for the 90mm thick ground floor slab, was due to arrive at 9am on Thursday 22 December 2011. So it was a bit of a scramble to get the damp proof sheeting and pre-cut underslab Isolite insulation in place before the arrival of the two concrete trucks. 

Laying the damp proof membrane

Placing the 40mm Isolite insulation over the damp proof membrane

 The concrete pour went ahead on time and without event, bar an apparent slight underestimation in the amount of concrete required. This was quickly remedied by the builders, who mixed up the required extra quantity of concrete by hand in no time, and wheelbarrowed it in place. By 11:30am the slab was complete.

The slab pour begins...

Mixing a little extra concrete by hand

The completed 90mm thick ground floor slab

Work was then begun on the 1.8m high front boundary walls. The wall is in three sections, with timber slatted fence and gate sections inserted between the three wall sections in order to satisfy Council requirements for 40% visual permeability on the street frontage. The walls are built using solid imperial size concrete bricks from Cape Brick, with a 70% recycled content. By the end of the following day [Friday 23 December], all three sections of the front boundary walls were up and bagged. Bagging entails wiping a cement slurry over the finished surface to smooth it off, while still leaving a discernible brick pattern. This type of finish not only saves time and money, but uses far less cement and sand than plastering, with concomitant environmental benefits. Happiness all round that we got so much done before the start of the Christmas break.

The three sections of street boundary wall