Another Pour

The concrete pump showed up late last night to get a head start on today's pour.  This 6 a.m. view from the construction cam shows him more than half finished.

There was no hope of the sun getting through the clouds to help with pictures today, but clouds don't hamper the pump.

Mr. Crane managed to work around the pump, dropping in supplies to workmen in the annex below through the brides' skylight.

I had wondered if the pump would wait for the entire lot to be covered in rebar before starting, as he did with the annex pour in November.  Apparently he's as anxious as the rest of us for the temple to be completed.

The new crane was moving the black braces and forms away from the south wall of the west lot after a pour earlier this week.

I took another picture so you could see this better.  You can only see a few forms pulled away, but they will all be moved back, soon.

Green rebar on the south is taking advantage of our precipitation to sprout.  The area on the left around the curved stairwell will be for mechanical storage.  A few small rooms associated with child care will extend south from the tabernacle footprint on this west side, between the entry and the stairs on the far left.

My notes from the City plans show that equipment for a fountain will be near the area around the east stairwell.  This special section from the Daily Herald includes an architectural rending of a fountain on this south side.

As the rebar grows, it's easier to see where the foyer will extend from the current footprint.

With sheeting going up to protect the workmen from winter weather, I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to watch the brickwork.

I assume you don't mind if I share a few extra pictures from this morning.

The brick which has been worked on has turned pink, but I think we are seeing dust from the sanding.

I suspect the color of the finished brick will be similar to how it looked originally.

Most of the masons work with hand tools, but some have mechanical help.

Let's hope the sun comes out before my next trip.

In the meantime, we can watch the progress from inside where it's a little warmer.

Roofwork + Brickwork + Formwork = Work

My quick trips to the site never turn out to be quick anymore.

Workmen hang out on the roof all the time.  You are seeing the water and ice protection barrier installation on the northeast portion of the roof.

These workmen are laying decking on top of the steel on the southeast side.  The weather barrier will follow.

The eaves of the four tower roofs have a little curl at their edges.  The four gable eaves will each receive a similar curl.  This will be in keeping with the original design of the building.

This photo taken near the turn of the 20th century shows the curl on the tower roofs.  Notice that the roof between the southeast tower and the south gable is flat.

This photo, directly opposite of the one above, was taken a little later, but before 1917 when the center spire was removed.  The flat roof between the northwest tower and north gable is evident here, also.  The curl on the west and north gable eaves is visible.

From the construction cam, we will be able to watch the men build the curl on the west gable eaves, seen here on the right, and the north gable, similar to the curl on the three visible towers in this photo.  The center spire will match the other tower roofs, and not too far in the future we'll see scaffolding go up on the roof so the workmen will have access to it.

I am enchanted with the work on the bricks.  This niche and the surrounding brick on the northeast tower have been cleaned.

This second-level niche has also been cleaned.  Notice the two springer stones from the arch have been removed for special care.

I don't know how these niches will be finished, but the opening to the right will have art glass.

I spent quite a bit of time watching through my zoom lens.

This work will take quite awhile.

Only the north and east sides have scaffolding right now.

Green rebar is growing on the south side.  A foyer will extend from the center opening, but part of a dressing room for the baptistry will also extend south, on the right.  The curved area will be for a stairwell from the ground level. 

Mr. Red Ladder was doing his share of the work building new concrete forms.  Notice the copses of rebar for pillars behind the ladder.

The concrete pump spends so much time at the site he could get his mail here.

Another red ladder assisted in the west lot.  Notice the assembly of a cable trench for the roof of the underground parking garage.

Another cable trench is being assembled not far from where a third ladder is working.  If you look closely, you can see a fourth ladder helping out under the concrete forms.

It's been interesting to watch the pillars sprout up on the site.  They are all in a perfect grid, but before we can make a big deal about how neat they are, the workmen cover them up.

Concrete blankets cover black frames which likely spent some time near the concrete pump this morning.  Notice the heat gun keeping everything warm inside.  The frames on the right seem to have ducked out of the way of the pump today.  Pouring the concrete against the south wall instead of using two sets of forms frees up about three feet of space which is necessary for the driveway entrance.

A third set of frames on the far west wall has also been covered with blankets to keep new concrete warm enough to cure.  The entrance to the underground parking garage can be seen on the left side of this picture.

Look carefully and you will see a yellow forklift in the center of the picture placing a concrete form behind the trench which runs along the center of the photo.  The forklift was quiet enough that the men on top could direct the driver.

The stairwell which will lead from the ground level to the garage now has forms where its roof will be.  Notice that the forms are spreading south across the west lot.

This west area is huge, but that isn't stopping these workmen from covering it with rebar.  Last week we saw the tension cables laid east and west.  New cables are being laid north and south.

After the concrete is poured, the cables will be pulled tight by hydraulic jacks.

At one point there was a sea of rebar in the basement.  Then the men built a sea of rebar above the annex.  And now there is this huge sea of rebar on the west side.

Special equipment is involved.

More cables are in the south lot, next to the only remaining snow on the site.  Trust me, it's frozen solid.  This snow pit will be the base for the elevator shaft in the pavilion.

The pavilion will be a beautiful place for families to wait for wedding parties.

Speaking of weddings, the skylight for the bride's room got some walls today.  Concrete blankets are keeping the new cement warm.  The annex area below has been emptied of the waffle plates and steel supports.  Electricians and plumbers are now at work there.

This window is directly behind the skylight, at ground level in the northwest tower.  What you are seeing is the stairwell column in that tower.  I've not observed any evidence that the newels are growing taller yet.

But the tabernacle is standing a little taller these days, quite proud of himself, I believe.

Brickwork Begins!

It was cold at the site this morning, only 20 degrees when I arrived, but it warmed up once the sun rose past the mountains.

Everyone is excited about work beginning on the bricks.

The plaster over this concave shape on the northeast tower has been removed to expose brick.

This is the concave area below, which still has its plaster.

My camera, always curious, zoomed in for a closer look.  In addition to being cleaned, the brick is being repointed.  You can see that some of the  mortar has been removed.  It will be replaced with something much more durable than 19th century grout.

It's easy to see the lightened areas where the masons have worked.  I love the new look.

In addition to repairing old brick, the masons will repair the holes from the exterior scaffolding which supported the tabernacle after the fire.

The scaffolding is secured to the tabernacle with hooks which have either been drilled into the mortar or held on with super-duper-gorilla glue.

The masons have cleaned this east side of the north face since Monday.

Scaffolding rises on the east side so brickwork can begin there, too.  Notice the handy new entrance to the second level on the east side.

Let's see what else is going on.

Mr. Concrete Pump began working before midnight last night.  This view is from the construction cam.

He poured the base of the underground foyer on the south side.  The bubble covers a stairwell from the level we see now to the lowest level of the temple.

We'll start to see walls go up here, soon.

Yes, I'm excited about that, too.

I am very interested in the work on the west side.  The roof for the underground parking will be different than the roof over the annex on the north side.

Rebar has been placed on top of the concrete forms this week.

Orange tension cables have been carefully strung in the trenches of the forms.

After the concrete is poured, these trenches will become beams for the garage, and the cables will be pulled tight with hydraulic jacks.

More cables are waiting in the south lot.

Supports for the rest of the west lot roof are being built.

Forms braced by black frames will spread along the south wall so concrete can be poured.

I looked around to make sure I wasn't missing anything.  This man worked inside the southeast tower for quite awhile this morning.

Water and ice protection continues to be installed on the roof.

This ladder at the top of the southwest tower perhaps indicates the tower stair columns aren't in yet.

Mr. Dashing Track Hoe worked in the south lot preparing the base for another slab.

If you watch the cam, you saw more waterproofing laid on top of the annex this week.

There is always so much to see.

I had trouble pulling myself away this morning.

If you are looking for an excuse to get to the site, July 24th might be a good day to be there.