Week 2, Day 5

Week 2, day 5:

  • Delivery of a 20-tonne lorry load of stone chippings.
    • This will be used to stop the area by the site cabins becoming so muddy in wet weather.
    • 20 tonnes of stone chippings looks at lot smaller than you’d think!
  • Completing the excavation of the second (southern) GSHP collector trench.
  • Installing marker pegs in the foundation trenches to indicate the required depth of the foundation concrete.
    • The overview photo shows the laser level used to ensure the pegs were all at the right height in relation to Finished Floor Level.
Week 2, Day 5

Week 2, Day 5

Stone chippings delivery

Stone chippings delivery

Southern GSHP collector trench completed

Southern GSHP collector trench completed

Both completed GSHP collector trenches

Both completed GSHP collector trenches – each one is 1.5m wide, 50m long and they’re 10m apart with the excavated soil piled “outboard” to allow access up the central 10m track for laying the sand required below and above the collector pipes, and for installing the pipes themselves. At this stage the further trenches for the pipework tails connecting back to the house had not been dug.

Depth marker pegs in house foundation trench

Depth marker pegs in house foundation trench, ready for concrete. This is the trench at the north side of the house where the ground slopes away; the pegs on he southern side are much further below ground level.

Week 2, Day 2

Week 2, Day 2:

  • Installation of the shuttering (wooden formwork) within the old cellar, ready to hold the foundation concrete while it sets – see second photo below
  • Completing the rest of the digging for the foundations, including adding the extra-wide areas for where the steel posts will connect to the concrete foundations and need extra support
Week 2, Day 2

Week 2, Day 2

Shuttering in old cellar

Shuttering in old cellar, at south-east corner of the new house