Western Depot progress update
Western Depot progress update
by: Steve P.
This week saw more progress on the Western Depot update, with work continuing on the barn, and Reg identifying yet more trenches that needed to be dug following the long-awaited visit by a BT engineer to confirm what we need to do to get the phone lines moved and reconnected.
Monday saw Bob A’s team working to install the foundations for 2 of the steel uprights for the barn roof and roller shutter doors into the holes that had been dug the previous week. After significant head scratching and measuring the steel formers were positioned in the holes and surrounded by a significant quantity of concrete. The focus then moved onto dismantling the old barn roof where the uprights will sit so that the fork truck can be used to lift and position them – this got the dredging team worried as they were trying to work on Augustus Gloop’s gearbox in the part of the barn that still had a roof!
By Wednesday the concrete had set, and it was time to see if the steels that Chris, Mike and Jeff had prepared would fit onto the foundations. The first post was fitted using both the mini digger and forklift to get it into position, but it dropped straight onto the foundations and was soon aligned and secured in place.
While this was going on Duncan and the mini digger were digging the new trenches, with Pod working by hand to dig out the main water pipe so that this can be re-routed to the new toilet block and repositioned hospitality unit. This proved hard work so the mini digger was brought in to help, which made the task much quicker but also led to us puncturing the main water supply pipe – fortunately we knew where the mains stopcock was, but for a period tea and coffee making was limited!
The team then turned this problem into an opportunity with John D’s team managing to find some more manhole parts and ducting, so we now have a second service manhole which should make future cabling and plumbing much easier.
Having practiced on the first steel upright Jeff came up with an improved method of lifting the second beam, and this went up in no time. After more measuring, adjusting and checking the beams were in what we hope is the right place, so more concrete was mixed and the 1st post set in place for good. We then did a trial fit for the lintel which will need more work next week after which we can then find out if the roller shutter door really will fit.
Next week sees the arrival of the new toilet and meeting containers, so 1st priority will be clearing up the trenches and continuing the tidy up, but we now have more space to work in although the road works outside the depot may make vehicle access interesting for the lorry delivering the containers!
