112K JPEG If you look carefully at the inset image taken on May 13 you will see the Zumwalt Construction Company sign going up. This has been the first visible activity on the site since the end of Phase I. A lot of background work has taken place in the meantime, finally leading to the resumption of construction this week. If this were Star Trek in the 24th century we could just beam in the materials and have the building self-assemble using nanotechnology. Here during the last few days of the 20th century, however, we still use the bidding process and hire real human contractors to do the job.

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In spite of the rather somber looks the members of the Planetarium Committee all seem to have, we are actually getting good news from Kurt Zumwalt, our contractor for Phase II. Construction will resume tomorrow.



Steve White, the Planetarium Director, explains some remaining options for the building exterior. With construction underway, these remaining details must be decided quickly so everything gets ordered on time.

 

They have returned. If you look closely at the planetarium site itself (click on the thumbnail for a larger picture) you can just make out the outline of the building that was laid out this morning.

The trencher is following these lines to prepare for laying the foundation.

It has seemed quiet at the site the last couple of days, but things are happening -- mostly deliveries. A load of rebar came in today. I wandered over to look at it and was attracted by the wad of labels attached to one end. Although you can't make them out at the digital resolution used, these computer-generated labels say "Downing Planetarium" on them. It really is going to happen!

  

Hazelton is on the site getting ready to do the concrete work on the foundation for the Downing Planetarium. Pouring should take place next week. Rod Hazelton, President of Hazelton, Inc., is on the left in the grey cap.

Before they pour that concrete, critical parts of the plumbing need to be put in first. Bill Herr of MJB Plumbing is here to get the job done.


Troy Horne, the Project Superintendent for Zumwalt Construction Inc., is the man on the spot back in the construction shack. Troy has filled me in on the time line for the next few days. He tells me things will be happening very fast now, so I'll try to be around with my camera.

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With the foundation pouring scheduled for early this week, the crew continues the task of putting in the plumbing and the rebar for the foundation.

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Here we can see some detail of the rebar that is going into the ground.

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On this shot from the third floor of the Science Building, we can see the outline of the planetarium foundation taking shape. As you look at the pictures which follow, note the boards along the ground. They define the top of the slab that will be poured next week. Tomorrow the first pouring of concrete will fill in the trenches and cover the rebar. Next Wednesday we are scheduled to pour the foundation slab itself.


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In the composite panorama shot above you can clearly see the curve of the foundation that will underlie the planetarium dome. This panorama was shot looking West. The front of the planetarium is on the left. The boards in front really do form a straight line! The apparent kink is an artifact of the two views stitched together by computer. In the close-up on the right we see electricians from Westech installing electrical power and data conduit for the auditorium. In the background you can see the ground being compacted after conduit was brought in that will feed the planetarium projector.

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Today was a very big day. The CalMat Division of the Vulcan Materials Company delivered the concrete for the foundation of the planetarium. In the picture above we see the concrete being poured into the Concrete Pump.

     

Guy Jennings from Sawyer Concrete Pumping stands on top of this amazing machine and puts the outlet of the pump right where it is needed. 136K jpeg The concrete placement people from Hazelton, Inc. put the concrete into the trenches.


Once the concrete is in place, a special vibrating tool is placed down into the concrete to re-liquefy it. This removes all the air pockets, making a smooth, uniform product that hugs the ground and sticks to all the rebar. The surface of the concrete is then smoothed.



In the midst of all this concrete work, the electricians from Westech Systems continue the installation of the data, power, and hydraulic lines that will run the planetarium projector. They have also been bringing in the lines to the planetarium console which is further back and to the left.

A final inspection makes sure everything is placed just right. The slab pour will come next Wednesday, and all the things still in the ground have to be in exactly the right spot. In the background we see Bill Herr from MJB Plumbing who did indeed get all the waste and water pipes into the ground on time.

The foundation is now in place. It has to cure for several days before the slab is poured. The wooden planks show where the top of the slab will be. The remaining rebar will attach the slab to the foundation.

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