Losing Sight of the Basement

Foundation forms are creeping around the basement.

This is what I call the south porch, but I don't know if it will eventually be an entrance from the underground parking garage or not.

I figured out why the west side foundation will be different than the east side.  The west side basement will extend past the footprint of the original tabernacle.  The towers on that side will need to be supported by the foundation because the piers will be cut away.

This view of the west side from the construction cam shows the foundation forms being built under the towers.

Foundation forms aren't being constructed beneath the two east towers.  I don't think it's because those two towers will be stairwells, but because the basement cannot extend east.

This is a view from the cam of the center of the north side foundation.  Notice that the Jacobsen crews have begun building the exterior forms.  It is easy to see that the foundation is being built between the piers.  Once the tabernacle rests on the new foundation, the piers can be cut away, at least on the inside.

I cropped another photo from the cam of the northeast tower.  Again, notice that the foundation forms aren't being built under the east tower.  Crews are using the upper east lot as a work area and are securing rebar below for a concrete pour, and Mr. Crane is assisting.  This area will be underneath an elevator from the north lot, which will be a one story basement annex, to the lower level of the temple basement.

I won't be able to take interior pictures of the basement much longer.  

This is a view of the interior side of the south foundation form.

I assume since you are still reading that you are as interested in peeking inside the basement as I am.  Notice the piers along the forms on the north side.  Removing them after the foundation is poured will increase the usable space in the basement.

This view of the north lot shows dry concrete after the big pour last Friday.

This view of the west side shows the wide-flange columns which were being worked on last week.  Today you can see that more than half have been cut off at ground level.

They've been replaced with a wooden fence, likely just to keep Baby Track Hoe from falling.  I can't explain the lower level on the right.  I arrived at the site after all the machinery had shut down, but it looks like micropiles have been driven there.

This view of the west lot shows the walkway from Center Street, which appears to be shored up as it approaches the site.

Wells are in place along the south wall of the west side.  Remember that the entrance to the underground parking is in the center of this picture. 

This is that entrance on First West.  The pile of gravel is there to keep stray people with cameras from entering, I'm sure.  The original Nu Skin building is in the center of this picture, with the new addition extending to the left.  Look at the construction wall above the wooden barrier in the center of this photo.

I took this picture while peeking through that spot along the construction barrier.  It appears the entrance is being prepared for concrete.  I guessed that because the writing says, "Install this side against concrete."

I like visiting the site when everything is in action, but I can't get pictures like this when there are trucks and machines in the way.  I have presumed that the underground parking garage will just be one level, and this picture indicates that the lot might be deep enough.  I have been known to be wrong before when guessing just what is deep enough, so don't put any money on this.

Since I usually use my zoom lens here, you might not have appreciated how big the south lot really is.