Top Hat

All dressed up.  Nowhere to go.

It was so quiet at the site today that the pigeons could have a meaningful conversation.

The honeycombed roof of the annex stretches from east to west.

This week's work on the annex roof has been fun to watch via the construction cam.

I don't know how much rebar will be worked around the steel waffle plates before the concrete is poured.

Red ladders are essential to the construction of the new tower base, which continues to grow.

Plenty of security is provided if they are feeling a bit shaky about their jobs.

Mr. Crane dropped in a man lift to help out.

If that's not enough support, there is now scaffolding on the second level.

Supports for the ceiling of the celestial room will hang from the wagon wheel at the base of the top hat.  I am told this ceiling will be spectacular.

The only skylight in the new temple will be above the bride's room which will be near the base of the northwest tower, directly behind the staircase on the left.

The fifth tower cap will be placed on top of the steel cylinder.

In the meantime, he's waiting patiently with the other tower caps.

Two wells out of view are now in place to lower the ground water so the east side lift station can be built.

It was my lucky day when the contractor checking on the wells took the time to explain this to me.  I now have a 30 minute degree in the temple drainage system.  We saw the steel sheet pile placed on Wednesday.  These steel plates form a 16 foot square.  The two 40 foot wells were dug outside this square and are now working.

These wells keep the ground water out of the way so the concrete cylinders forming the manhole can be placed inside the steel square.  Concrete will be poured between the sheet pile and the manhole so the aquifer can't push the manhole up.  We saw this happen with the southwest manhole a month ago.  This east manhole plus the other two already on the site will each be 45 feet deep from street level.

I was stunned to learn that after the concrete is poured, the steel pile is pulled out and can be reused.  The same is true with the steel pipe on the left.  It was used in drilling the three wells in this end of the lot and the two wells on the east side of the tabernacle, and then it was pulled out.

These two steel pipes are not actually going to be part of the drainage system at all.  The specially-made pile driver seen here pounds the steel pipes and plates in at 1600 vibrations a minute and then removes them.  I know, you are impressed.

This well, near the southwest lift station, and two neighboring wells have been capped off and will ultimately be buried.  Their sole purpose was to facilitate the building of the lift station.

Three lift stations will pump groundwater through drains under the temple and the south and west lots to the Provo storm water system along Second South, seen at the upper left corner of this picture.  The third lift station is on the northwest side of the lot.

This drainage system, already complete under the tabernacle and in the north and west lots, is slowly progressing through the south lot.  Bob, my tutor, explained that when finished, the temple property will be like a boat sailing on the sea, high and dry above the remnants of ancient Lake Bonneville.

The foundation for the underground entrance has been waterproofed.  It's being prepared for another slab to protect the new membrane.  Drains were placed below the slab earlier this month. The foyer slab has recently been connected with the west lot slab.

Steel, brick, concrete and plastic, plus a lot of brain power and elbow grease, are working together to enable this beautiful building to stand for the next thousand years.

Mt. Timp isn't jealous.

Some of us are downright excited.