Foundations poured on Lots 2 and 3
Pat and his extraordinary crew arrived just after noon, and worked incredibly hard until they finished, just after 5pm, when the first rain drops began to fall

49 images
1. In addition, Xcel guys were working to get the cable from the transformer at the bottom of our driveway to the post on Lot 2. Here you see the inside of the transformer. The 2 cables on the left sit at 14,400 volts; the 3 on the left are for connecting to houses.
2. Tracy and his pumper truck arrived early and did a few aerobic stretches on Lot 2
3. The Xcel guys wore yellow
4. I met Pat at the Rapp's lot. He has done concrete work since he was 16 years old. His current crew was formed in the mid-1990s.
5. The first 'mud truck' arrives. That's Paul in the bright shirt
6. Paul, Pat, and Tracy (who controls the pumper remotely)
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9. Pat's crew was phenomenal. The lead man (right) directs the concrete, the second probes with a vibrator that brings up air bubbles (reducing the volume by 2-3 percent, but not improving strength very much. A shoveler and a troweler follow.
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11. oops, a hemorrhage needed repair
12. meanwhile, the Xcel guys were laying cable
13. Kyle drove this truck. His job is to keep the hopper on the pumper (right) full of concrete.
14. He, and all of the other six truck drivers, did a perfect job
15. The pumper has outriggers to stabilize it
16. meanwhile, the Xcel guys kept working. After laying and burying the 4 inch plastic pipe, they threaded a wire through it, then tied on the "mule tape" to it an pulled it through, then attached the cable and pulled in back through...
17. the crew worked their way around the foundation
18. Tracy played the remote like a concert pianist, controlling up, down, left right, ahead, back, and flow rate of concrete
19. the entire team at work
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21. meanwhile, the Xcel guys made progress, here connecting the cable to the post on Lot 2
22. next truck. These trucks weigh 40,000 pounds, empty. The carry about 40,000 pounds (10 yards) of concrete. The foundations weigh about 160,000 pounds each (Lot 2 more because it's taller)
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24. cleaning out an empty truck
25. Lot 2 is done. The tube is closed off so that it doesn't leak concrete while moving to Lot 3
26. Welcome to Lot 3!
27. Filling on the right, the probe held by the middle guy frees air bubbles (and also moves stones to the middle, so the surface is smooth). The guy on the left holds the probe motor, which was the loudest of anything.
28. The fellow on the left trowels the surface smooth
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30. a few pebbles on Lot 3
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37. filling a buttress
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41. bye, bye to the seventh and last truck
42. At the end, they poured a pad inside the basement
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48. done
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