Spiral Mystery

For starters, it's getting cold here.  I'm not complaining, I just thought I'd mention it.

Both cranes were busy today.  They don't do all the work, but they get a lot of attention.

We can see this area from the cam, and it's changing rapidly.  Pillars seem to be sprouting on their own.

Perhaps the workmen would disagree.

Notice the cement truck on the right filling the bucket hanging from the black crane.

The crane substituted for the concrete pump today.

I thought the bucket was going to the man on top of the form.  Maybe he was thinking the same thing.

Other men were waiting for the bucket, though, and they emptied the concrete into forms along the north leg of the mechanical access tunnel.

The pillars in the annex are looking stately.  I don't think pillars can shiver.  I have decided the opening between the annex and the west lot is for the convenience of the workmen; otherwise they'd have to bother the ladders to get over that wall.  The opening appears to be the width of one form so they can close it up when they need to.

The two pillars being formed on the west side of the annex had wooden boxes around their bases before the slab was poured.  There is still a pillar to be formed on the left side of this picture, near the elevator shaft to lower level 2.

Walls along the north side of the west lot were poured this week.

This nice gravel area has appeared in the last two days.

If you've been watching the cam, you've seen the layer of black plastic and white pipes for drainage put in before the gravel.  The gravel was beaten down by the machine in the center front of the picture.  Notice two micropiles on the left.  I believe this area will be under a layer of concrete and when finished, we won't see it again.  Notice the yellow lift.

The lift was at this opening.  The actual underground entrance will be a beautiful foyer in front of this doorway.  You are seeing through the tabernacle at lower level 1, clear into the annex.

This is the entrance which will be at ground level from the temple grounds, above the entrance in the previous picture.  Looking from the west, you can see a new wall on the right side of this entry.

Looking from the east, there is a wall on the left side of the entry.

This opening, just east of the entrance, shows an additional wall being held up by the ladder.

This is a view through the tabernacle from the northeast tower doorway looking in the direction of that south entrance.  Also visible is a tall, straight ladder now on the job.

Just below the northeast tower doorway are forms for the final lift of this foundation.  Once the foundation is complete here, the piers supporting the tower will be cut away, just like the other piers.

The southeast tower foundation lags a little behind the northeast foundation.

This view into the east opening at ground level show us where the grand staircase will be, right where the yellow metal table is hanging in the air.  The table seems to be between jobs.

New material has been delivered in the upper north lot.  I am puzzled by the spirals on the right.

I know the staircases in the towers will be spiral.  My imagination is not good enough to figure out how these might be helpful there.  I am open to suggestions.

Each of the four towers will have staircases.

And all four will be heated.