128K JPEG The pour of the slab has been moved back one day to Thursday so the final touches on the plumbing and electrical can be carefully installed. Most of the conduit seen here is heading for the projector in the center of the auditorium.

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In this view from the rear of the planetarium we can see the forms in place that define the outer perimeter of the slab. On Thursday a special skirt will be put inside the forms to contain the concrete. Most of the interior of the planetarium can be seen in this view, including the outlets to the planetarium control console. The electrical outlets in the floor of the lobby can just be made out in the far side of this picture. They will bring power and data to interactive displays planned for the lobby.

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All of the conduit and pipes have been covered with dirt and sand. Now a 10 mil polyethylene vapor barrier is laid down to keep ground moisture from seeping up through the concrete. Without this any floor tile would gradually come unglued.

After the vapor barrier is laid down, a layer of sand is placed over that to produce a proper foundation for the concrete to be poured tomorrow.




104K jpeg Later in the day I saw the preparation of another layer. This reinforcing wire mesh is being rolled out and measured before placing it on the site. Note the menacing skies in the background. A few hours later they let loose violent thunderstorms with pounding rain and hail.

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Jon Wheless and Troy Horne discuss the postponement of today's scheduled concrete pour. The site is ready, but in spite of the nice blue skies here at 7 a.m., the weather forecasters are predicting a repeat of yesterday's freak June thunderstorm. A hard rain on freshly poured concrete will wash away the cement, leaving behind sand and gravel on the surface. The resulting damage to the finish of the concrete pad would be a disaster. As the sun got higher and the ground got warmer, the clouds started to form again. This was a good time to be cautious.


132K jpeg The reinforcing mesh is now in place all across the site of the future concrete pad. Skirting boards have been attached that have a special smooth surface to give a nice finish to the edges of the pad. The weather people tell us that the threat of rain will be over by the end of today, so the pour is rescheduled for 7 a.m. tomorrow.

It's a little after 7 a.m. with the first concrete due to arrive in about an hour for the pouring of the pad for the Downing Planetarium. The crew from Hazelton are making some final laser checks on the flatness of the site. Sawyer has shown up with the concrete pump. Bill McIntyre and Jon Schneider from Kleinfelder are setting up to test the concrete once we begin pouring. Your digital photographer is a little groggy from having gotten up at 5 a.m. three days in a row, but this time we will pour for sure.


84K jpeg The CalMet Division of Vulcan Materials is here with the concrete. There is a lot more to pour today, so the trucks come very quickly. While one is unloading concrete into the pump, a second truck is waiting to take its place.


108K jpeg Now the real action starts. The pour begins along the edges of the foundation. The vibration tool removes the voids from the concrete and ensures a smooth fit against the plywood skirt. The wire mesh will be brought up to the correct level with a hooked tool.

168K jpeg The technicians from Kleinfelder start forming up samples of the concrete that will be tested for the proper strength. The specification is for 3500 psi.

I hope the little tree visible in this picture appreciates all the care that was taken to keep from crushing it. Getting all the equipment into place for the concrete pour required some precision driving as giant trucks were maneuvered between this tree and a big pile of sand during the initial setting up.

Steve White, the Planetarium Director and Associate Professor of Physics, together with Steve Schmeiser, the Development Officer for the School of Natural Sciences, look on as the pour continues. Getting to this day has required an enormous amount of time and effort.

104K jpeg As major portions of the slab are poured, the entire team from Hazelton is in constant motion. Moments after the concrete is poured, shoveled and vibrated into place, the surface is tamped down, then smoothed repeatedly with an array of special tools.

I didn't ask what the proper name for this machine is, but it was described to me as an upside-down helicopter. Rod Hazelton is using the spinning blades to apply additional finish to the surface of the future Resource Center. There will be kids and computers on this spot a few months from now.

In the background we can see that the floor for the Planetarium Auditorium and the West side of the building has been poured.

A lot of the final finishing is done by hand. Danny Martinez and many others from the Hazelton crew move around supported by special skids on the surface of the hardening concrete.
     

100K jpeg Early Monday morning, SteelCon, Inc. had the first crane in place placing the steel uprights at the corners and in the Planetarium Lobby.

104K jpeg These uprights are being bolted to the well-cured foundation, not the slab that was poured only last Friday.
100K jpeg The second crane is now on the job, putting on the cross-beams. By 11 a.m. work was well underway on the roof itself.

100K jpeg Here three of the four girders forming the roof have been moved into place.

60K jpegUsing a Cherry Picker, a SteelCon worker bolts the apex into place.

The joints are both bolted and welded. Here we see a tab welded into place that will support cross beams forming part of the Planetarium lobby.


96K jpeg This view from the Third Floor of the Science Building shows the progress made by Noon. I had to leave to teach a class for the rest of the afternoon. More pictures tomorrow morning.

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After all the steel columns and structural I-beams had been put up, nothing too dramatic seemed to be taking place. Several loads of steel studs and other materials for the framing of the building were delivered and can be seen stacked around the site and on the floor of the Planetarium.

104K jpeg There is important activity going on, however. Andrew Michael and Lance Lingenfelter from John Burns Construction are carefully marking out where the sill plates will be placed on the Planetarium floor. Once the sills are in place, the non load-bearing framing will be put up. We should see a lot of this framing taking place tomorrow.

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The North wall of the auditorium is now going up.

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By the next day we see the North wall of the Resource Center as well as the East wall of the Auditorium.

112K jpeg In this view we can see the steel studs in place for the Resource Center, including doors and windows. Soon we will see even more workers on the job constructing the walls.

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Today the rooms on the East and West side of the building are being framed. The West rooms will become utility and restrooms. On the East side we have the Planetarium office and preparation room. The Resource Center is on the North (upper) side of the building.
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104K jpeg Mike Martinez (at the bottom) and Benny Tacla install the steel studs. Note that these need no interior horizontal cross pieces to stabilize them, making life easier in the future if we need to fish new cables down between the walls.

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