9.16.2014

In true Camelot fashion, it rained some overnight and was slightly drizzly for a little bit this morning.  Jim decided to go get the truck and pick up the cold-formed steel that he ordered.  Again, he will use this steel for other purposes, but for right now, he is using it to support the reinforced concrete beam that will go over the top of both garage doors.  What's nice about ordering this steel is that Jim specified the exact measurements he needed for over the doors; they will cut them to that size.  Then later, he can cut them down to fit his other needs. 

First, he had to build the bulkhead that will hold this steel - basically it's the same method he used for the other bulkheads, just turned on its side.

Then he used special screws and fastened the steel underneath - look how perfectly straight everything is now!

Fastening everything together...

After lunch, I took one of the 4Runners and went to Lowe's to pick up some 3/8" rebar.  He needed that size to build these stirrups that will hold all the steel inside the forms that make up this beam.  Just figuring out how to bend the steel this way was a real puzzle!

 

Then he was able to build up a row of foam on top - including one little optimizer in the middle!  If you look closely to the right of that optimizer, you can see the stirrups sticking out.

 

 

When it was almost clean up time, we decided to disassemble what was left of Foam City.  At this point, Jim just needs a few more optimizers and he will be done with foam!  We don't have much left, but what we do needs to be protected from the sunlight which can break down the foam.  So we loaded up the truck with the foam and took it up into the woods behind the shed.  We used leftover foam pieces to form a pallet on top of some plastic and then laid the pieces on that.  They should be protected back here and awaiting use on the house!

The great part about that is that we cleared out all the area where the foam was in anticipation of more deliveries - brick may be coming this week and the big steel and decking won't be too far in the future.  The only things left down here are pieces that Nudura will buy back and our trash pile.  We will take that to the dump this week.