Preparing the reinforcement structure for the second floor slab

With the wooden supports in place underneath, the steel reinforcements were tied for the second floor slab today. The section being tied here is for what will eventually be the master bedroom balcony, so this video also gives an idea of the view from the balcony.

Pouring the second floor beams

More photos of construction

I recently had a few issues with my photo stream on Flickr, but these have now been resolved.  You can find all of my additional photos on Flickr by following the link in the right hand column, which will take you to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nongkhaidesign/

Second floor beam construction

For the past couple of days, preparations have been made for the second floor beam construction.  All of the reinforcement structures have been tied, and support trusses put in place on which the beams will be constructed.  The initial stages for the second floor beams will take longer than for the ground beams, firstly because the beam layout is more complex, but mainly because they are having to do it suspended 3m above the ground!

Second floor beam trusses and reinforcement structure

The finished ground floor slab

Another great day of progress today, with the ground floor slab having been poured by lunch time! The steel bars that you can see protruding from the slab is the attachment point for the steel re-enforcement structure of the concrete staircase.

The finished ground floor slab

Tomorrow, the steel reenforcement structures for the second floor beams will be tied and attached to the columns.

Pouring the ground floor slab

Not ones to waste any time, the workers had already poured most of the ground floor slab by the time I visited the site at 10:00 am this morning.  The part that has not yet been filled with sand and steel re-enforcment, that you can see in the video, is where the ground floor bathroom and garden store room will be. The floor for these two rooms is at a lower level than the rest of the floor, so will be poured separately once the main floor casting has set.

Tying the ground floor steel re-enforcement

The concrete is due to be poured for the ground floor tomorrow, so the steel re-enforcing structure that is to be embedded within it had to be laid out and tied together. Also, initial plumbing for the kitchen and ground floor bathroom had to be fitted. Conduit for the mains power supply was also fitted.

Remaining Second Stage Columns Poured

Yesterday was a Buddhist holiday so no one was working.  Today, however, they were back to work pouring the last of the second stage columns.  Also, more of the area between the ground floor beams was filled in.

More columns going up

The shuttering was removed to reveal the first five columns that were poured yesterday. Shuttering was applied and concrete also poured for the next five columns. The area between the ground floor beams was also filled in first with earth, then with a layer of sand ready for pouring the concrete floor. This will be done when all of the second stage column casting has been done.

Five columns up, five more being cast

Second stage of column construction