Greenstone Inn, Week 9, Elevator Shaft and Column Construction

Final Backfilling takes place as a forest of column forms and the Elevator shaft forms begin to take shape in the new garage. With the perimeter complete and column forms popping up all over the place, final backfilling tests an operators backhoe driving skills. Surrounding the elevator shaft with concrete walls serves two purposes. First it provides the required fire protection for this type of parking facility. Secondly, though, is a testament to how seriously the building industry takes earthquakes and other moving earth here on the coast. This structure provides a "buttress style" shear panel to resist any wall movement. Here we have the shaft panels ready for mud. Inside this form (and not visible here), are two "door blockouts." The "Putzmiester" pump truck shows up one more time to deposit some 40 yards of concrete. With the last of the interior structures poured our foundation sits amid the spider's web of bracing in the evening sun. From here it's on to the "flat work" and beam placement.