Vertical concrete columns weigh 10 times more than the same amount of horizontal concrete! At least, that was our observation today as we watched the first column we tried to pour push the forms right out of the wall and end up on the slab floor.... So much for the strength of tapcons. We went back and put every single tapcon we had, and some quickly purchased concrete nails as well, into the plywood forms we had installed yesterday. This is Angie putting more nails in one of the columns.
And she and husband Aaron working on another.
After a delay and the fitfull start, though, the team really started to roll. The concrete had to be brought over to the house from the concrete mixer and then shoveled into buckets and hoisted up to be poured into the post forms.
The posts were all formed by 2:00 in the afternoon. Beautiful.
Not shabbly for a small team, and we were missing one member who stayed behind due to internal problems. Everyone was super tired when we got back to the house and most are currently napping after a great cold shower, waiting for dinner to be ready in a few minutes.
Tomorrow we will let the concrete cure and take a day off to visit the children at the orphanage and then go on an outing up to a great overlook above Port-au-Prince where we can also do some shopping at the artisan's stalls. Thursday we will take the forms down and start working on the bond beam, which we hope to have ready to pour next week.
This is a picture of the phase one building all ready and waiting for the next team to continue laying blocks. They have their work cut out for them, as we need to finish the upper part of the block walls so the roof can be put on.
The Lord has continued to bless us with wonderful weather. Please pray for the health of this team since one of us is down, and that we will stay injury free, and continue to be productive in doing God's work. Please pray for the children also, and that more teams will come and donations will be made to care for them as God intends.
No comments:
Post a Comment